Mass Effect Shattered Bonds
by scholasticsamurai
Summary: The Hunters are under attack! Can the fledgling clan of mercenaries fend off their enemies before their newfound empire collapses? Will they succeed in unmasking the conspirators who are pulling the strings? And more importantly can they remain united as a family in the process? Ties will be tested and nothing will ever be the same. (Sequel to Mass Effect A New Era)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Danger Zone

2181 Desponia was a mystery from the moment it was discovered by human space probes. It remained just as ambiguous after being briefly visited by a certain Alliance hero during the Reaper War and even now, the eerie planet continued its enigmatic existence. The ocean covered world hadn't been explored since its discovery and rarely visited. The unfortunate few who had ventured to its surface out of curiosity never returned. The occupants preferred their privacy and had done a superb job of maintaining it over the years. Desponia was located within the outer recesses of the Sigurd's Cradle Cluster, a cluster that happened to rest within the center of the Terminus Systems. That fact alone went a long way towards ensuring that no denizen from any civilized region of space would venture close enough to bother them but that was about to change...

"Any idea what it is exactly we're supposed to be gathering intelligence on?" a heavily armed turian operative asked gruffly while sitting inside of a shuttle that was slowly descending towards a planet that hadn't been visited in decades.

"You've read the reports just like the rest of us. You already know why we're here." an asari colleague casually responded from a seat across from him.

"It's a waste of time if you ask me." another asari agent added while stretching next to her. "Assuming they're even real, they haven't made a move since the war with the Reapers.

"There's also the fact that we're operating based on intel gathered by the Alliance alone." the turian continued in a slightly derisive tone.

"Is that a problem, Vellus?" an equally well armed human sternly interjected from his turian associate's right. "Don't forget that Admiral Shepard was the one who confirmed their existence, in person mind you. And he's the only one who's ever traveled to this rock and made it out alive."

"Then why wasn't he handed this mission? Or one of his children?" the turian scoffed.

"My guess is the Council doesn't want him knowing about it." the first asari surmised.

"Four SPECTRES sent to snoop around some big ball of water just to see what some undersea colossi are up to. We have such a charming profession, don't we?" her colleague mused.

"This is no laughing matter. I was in the middle of preparing for an important operation in the Terminus Systems. This detour will cost me valuable time." the turian complained.

"You think you're the only who was busy? I had my own business to finish out here and the recent turmoil was the perfect time for me to…" the human abruptly stopped himself after noticing the way his asari companions were eyeing him.

"So you both had assignments to complete, missions that involved venturing into the Terminus Systems. Interesting." the second asari thoughtfully stated.

An air of quiet quickly took hold of the shuttle but was promptly broken as the craft jolted forward, shaking everyone inside violently in the process. "What the hell is going on?" the human shouted while bracing himself.

"Pilot, what's our status?!" the turian demanded in a panic.

The human pilot didn't respond and continued to accelerate the shuttle towards the planet with a vacant expression on his face as a small trail of blood ran from his nose. None of the passengers had time to register the full scope of the situation or notice the gargantuan being that was slowly rising from the ocean that their craft was spiraling towards. And no one aboard would be heard from again for several months…

* * *

The planet Lorek was not only a rare example of a habitable world but also a habitable world that occupied the Terminus Systems and hadn't been claimed by the local warlords and criminals. That had at least been the case in the past before the Reaper and Trio Wars. Located in the Fathar System of the Omega Nebula and originally annexed by the Batarian Hegemony, the planet boasted a population of nearly five million Batarian colonists at one point. However, in recent years that population suffered a significant decrease and transformation. The colony was still dominated by Batarians but the denizens who now called it home were the very worst that their species had to offer. Pirates, slavers and criminals of all types had established strongholds across the surface and the surrounding space was filled with heavily armed war vessels utilized by their masters in order to perform raids in neighboring systems against rivals. Raiders were the ones calling the shots in this particular territory and everyone who resided in the Terminus Systems was aware of that fact. But in spite of the circumstances or perhaps because of them, there was at least one person on the planet's surface at the moment who wasn't a Batarian or a raider but he was equally deadly if not more so.

Inside a well fortified compound, a pair of guards within a security control room were preparing to end their shift. After opening the door that led inside their posts, they were both promptly killed by a pair of shots from a new model particle pistol, the Will-O-Wisp. It was a powerful, yet silent firearm that had been designed for stealth operations. It was also one of the current standard weapons that all of the Terminus Fangs used. The intruder who was wielding the weapon promptly holstered it after executing his victims and quietly slipped inside of the room where he immediately began hacking into the compound's security systems and deactivating everything that he could. The slightly short human interloper then made his way back outside after checking the vid-screens of the compound's interior and plotting the fastest way to his intended goal. Once he was sure that the coast was clear, he immediately darted down the hall. His movements were swift and within minutes he'd already scurried through several corridors and traversed a marathon of stairways, all while silently executing any hapless guards who happened to cross his path.

After reaching his destination, a large office that rested in the center of the complex, he was almost caught off guard by a ceiling mounted security turret that instantly opened fire as he approached.

"Shit! It must be connected to a separate system." he furiously whispered.

He quickly deployed a decoy that drew the machine's fire while he took cover behind a pillar in order to plan his next course of action. While he pondered exactly how he'd proceed, an alarm suddenly sounded across the entire installation.

"Oh, you dirty turret. Did you just rat me out?" he mumbled in frustration while drawing his pistol.

Before he could curse the machine further, it was suddenly sealed inside of an incredibly destructive sphere of biotic energy and destroyed. As he prepared to make a witty comment about the turret's demise, he noticed that a squadron of heavily armed Batarians was closing in from his rear. They wasted little time and began firing ballistic blades at him and followed up with several inferno grenades in an effort to flush him out from the other side of the pillar where he'd taken cover after they'd appeared.

"So much for get in and get out without alerting anyone." the intruder scoffed. "You gonna handle this or what?" he irritably added, apparently addressing an apparition that no one else could see.

It appeared that his imaginary ally was in fact real and quickly proved so by downing a trio of batarians with a string of well aimed headshots from a new model Spectrum Particle Sniper Rifle. Before the dead men's cohorts could register what had happened, they too found themselves on the receiving end of the mystery sniper's aggression. As warp laced particle shots tore through their ranks, the last remaining pair of soldiers attempted to retreat but were quickly killed by a pair of electrified omni-blades that pierced the backs of their necks as a tall, well toned mystery man decloaked behind them. He took a moment to brush off his black and silver combat armor that bore the symbol of a wolf before calmly rejoining his friend.

"Oh, bravo!" the shorter intruder sarcastically quipped. "The mighty Ghost Fang donning his impeccable Ethereal Armor saw fit to intervene just in the nick of time to save little old me. I'm deeply honored Your Highness. Shall I lick your boots in gratitude or just remind your cocky ass that we've still got a job to do?" he added in agitation.

"You did end up asking for help, Rabbit." his partner reminded him. "And I can't help it if I'm that damn good."

"Why? Why you? Of all the people I could've been partnered with…" Rabbit grumbled before leading the way forward towards the formerly guarded office.

"I was the only one on hand when you got the call. Besides, it could've been worse. You and I both know that. If Vince wasn't away right now-"

"Don't even say it." Rabbit bitterly interrupted while hacking the lock on the office. "I'll never team up with that bastard, especially now with everything that's happened. We're in the middle of a war and that fucktard is off lounging around with his-"

"Watch it, Rabbit." his friend warned. "She's still my sister. And you know this all broke out after he'd already left. He probably doesn't have a clue what's going on right now. It's not like battles between Terminus natives are headline news in Citadel Space."

"Sure, just give him a free pass. It's not like he doesn't get enough of those already." Rabbit bitterly responded while completing his hack. "I just hope Liv doesn't know about it. And that she's okay right now." he quietly added while opening the newly unlocked door. After they both entered the office, he immediately got to work on hacking into a console that was resting on a desk.

"She'll be fine, Rabbit. She's got Lou and Leon with her." his partner assured him.

"Maybe you're right. You guys have come a long way these past three years. Especially you, Ghost Fang. You're officially the best wetwork agent we've got. Must be nice." Rabbit earnestly stated while working.

"It has its ups and downs, just like any other job." his friend replied stoically.

"I know it's none of my business but how much longer are you gonna keep everyone in the dark about what you do? I understand secrecy, it's a necessity when it comes to our line of work but this dual identity bullshit is even starting to piss me off. At least tell the rest of your family. It can't be easy keeping this from everyone except for your parents and the twins. Everyone else thinks you're a worthless bum and listening to Ray badmouth you every time we all get together is annoying me at this point. It's only gonna start up again even worse once he gets back from his training with Zaeed. That idiot doesn't have a clue how many times you've saved his sorry ass from the shadows over the years. Listen Na-I mean, Ghost Fang. At least tell Lou, he'd understand and he is technically in charge right now." Rabbit urged.

"You know I can't. I have to keep my cover intact. Lou, Liv, Leon, they've all gotten way too famous since they set out on their own. Add Angelica and Vince to the mix and most of our family has a high profile. It won't be long before Ray and Jordy join them. I've gotta stay low, Rabbit. The more people think I'm a lazy, irresponsible, slacker, the better. It makes it easier for me to move around, gather info and neutralize targets when necessary. Our operations on Illium are a lot better off for it too, don't even try to argue that point." his friend fervently explained.

"Damn it and I thought I was the only pitiful martyr destined to suffer in silence." Rabbit replied in exasperation before releasing a sigh. Afterwards, he continued his data extraction before something strange caught his attention. A small bit of significant information that was not only shocking but also quite distressing. "No!" he frantically exclaimed. "We've gotta go, NOW!"

"What's wrong?" his partner asked in confusion before taking a glimpse of the information on the console that he'd been hacking. "How did they-Nevermind! You're right! Let's get outta here and contact Lou! That damned thing is headed straight for them and they won't see it coming!"

"Helluva time for Mal and the rest of the old guys to be away." Rabbit grumbled before finishing his data extraction. "Let's bolt!"

The duo immediately set off at a sprint from the office and quickly ran into even more squads of Batarian soldiers who were awaiting their arrival. "We don't have time for this!" Rabbit's partner raged before unleashing a salvo of energy blasts from his hand that promptly homed in on their foes and exploded, decimating their ranks.

The pair continued their mad dash for the exit encountering another squad of guards that the Ghost Fang quickly destroyed with another biotic salvo. After reaching the corridor that led to the entrance of the complex, they encountered a much fiercer resistance in the form of soldiers who were equipped with riot shields. The biotic infiltrator promptly disarmed them with a pull while Rabbit tossed a flashbang grenade that stunned the mob. Both men took advantage with a string of shots from their chosen firearms before rushing outside of the installation.

"The shuttle is rigged to blow, right?"

"Of course it is which means we're gonna have to steal a ride from these jackasses before we can leave. But we have to make it fast." Rabbit anxiously responded.

"I know." his friend agreed. "Lou, Liv, Leon, everybody, hang on." he quietly pleaded while readying his Spectrum. An enemy drop ship was already closing in.

* * *

"Units four through six, with me! We're securing the capital by nightfall, that's a promise!" Lucas Hunter roared while leading his men in a counterattack against their enemies outside of a destroyed apartment complex in the middle of Heshtok's capital, Hatash. The twenty-one year old was in the middle of facing a multitude of difficulties, challenges that he'd never imagined having to face in his father's absence.

Heshtok was being invaded and the forces laying siege were more than formidable. The enemies leading the charge had obviously planned the assault for years, possibly even decades and the timing in which they executed their strike was uncanny to say the least. The Terminus Wolves possessed five formidable fleets that were tasked with protecting Cartagena and mobilizing on other fronts when necessary. Their two most powerful armadas were currently being led by the Terminus Hunter and acting as protection for a secret project that had taken decades to construct. He and the other original members of his group were overseeing the final phases of the project's completion deep within the uncharted recesses of the Nemean Abyss. Another two fleets had been left behind to safeguard Cartagena Station in their absence while the final one had been deployed to liberate Khar'shan from the Yahg. This unfortunately left Heshtok and the Vorcha without a means of backup should the worst ever occur.

It was an oversight that no one ever considered to be a liability. The Vorcha possessed fleets of their own and thanks to their leader, they were as advanced and well armed as any Citadel Race's. The problem lay in who there were facing. The combined might of every ragtag pirate group in the Terminus Systems in addition to the Forgotten, Yahg Marauders and Batarian Raiders were bearing down on them. All eight of the Vorcha's fleets were being pushed to the limit in fending them off and enemy landing parties were still managing to slip through the fighting in order to deploy heavy combat mechs, Yahg Commanders and other troublesome ground forces who were equipped with breathing masks to protect them from Hestok's toxic volcanic gases. Worse yet, enemy Krogan were being deployed as well. Soldiers who'd grown dissatisfied with their people's current peaceful coexistence with the Council Races and who were eager to conquer a new challenge, that challenge being the Terminus Hunter and his military forces. The invasions were sudden and came without warning, the only saving grace being the fact that the Hunter Triplets and their friends happened to be visiting Heshtok when the chaos first erupted.

They had immediately assumed control of the forces positioned on the planet and in space while mobilizing every soldier and agent who was stationed elsewhere in an effort to gather reconnaissance and cripple any possible enemy reinforcements. Many Fangs had already been deployed to assist in the retaking of Khar'shan but a few had remained on hand and were already doing what they could to aid the war effort. Some were making their way to the Kyzil System in the hopes of joining their young leaders but others were performing more perilous missions, assignments that would undoubtedly maim the enemy in more ways than one. Amid all of the carnage and turmoil, Lucas Hunter found himself carrying a heavy burden. Before his father had left, he'd placed him in charge of Cartagena and in essence, everything else. It had obviously been a playful token gesture at the time, no one could've foreseen the madness occurring right now. He, his siblings and their closest friends had just taken a break from their usual work and decided to have a vacation on Heshtok with some of their Vorcha acquaintances. They had no idea what was in store for them.

"Get the Hyperions ready and concentrate your fire at those Gaias on my mark!" he yelled while pointing out a squadron of heavy mechs in the distance. His Vorcha subordinates instantly obeyed and took aim with a slew of particle variant heavy weapons dubbed Hyperions. "NOW!" he roared.

A split second later, his men let loose with a bombardment of concentrated particle beams that quickly annihilated the incoming mechs at the other end of the battered street where the fighting was taking place. After destroying the newest wave of enemies, they continued their sweep of the area, flushing out any enemy stragglers they came across and killing them. Once they completed their search, Lucas decided to make contact with a friend.

"Grace, my men and I just cleared out the Vorash district. I'm heading back to the base now. Let the others know once they check in from the other areas." he informed her after opening a comm line.

"Lou, you sound exhausted. Don't overdo it."

"I'm fine. I'll fight as hard as I have to in order to drive these bastards off. We aren't losing Heshtok." Lucas replied in exhaustion.

"I just spoke to Leon. They're still struggling up there and the enemy isn't easing up. This might not end unless we-"

"No. We've been over this before, Grace. We're not pulling any fleets from Cartagena, that's exactly what these assholes want us to do. We all know that's their true goal, their real prize. They've been bleeding us for weeks and they're gonna keep hitting Heshtok with everything they have in an effort to draw our defenses away from home and I won't allow it. We'll fight them off with what we have until the Grey Fleet can get here. They can send as many mechs, Krogan and Yahg as they want. I'm not backing down. And I won't let Dad down either." Lucas vowed.

"Fine, but I'm sending someone to meet you." Grace sternly informed him.

"Don't bother, my men and I can-"

The sudden explosion, Grace's desperate plea that he respond, the massive hole in the street, half his units lying dead and wounded and the giant Krogan battlemaster standing before them armed with the latest model Claymore-it all came too fast and only added to young Lucas' already mounting battle fatigue.

"You're one of the Terminus Hunter's brats, right?" the behemoth barked. "It's turning out to be a good day after all." he gleefully added before laughing.

Lucas quickly got to his feet and erected barrier while pulling out his Lumina Particle Assault Rifle. "Yeah, I guess it is." he calmly responded before taking aim at the bruiser. His day was about to get a lot harder.


	2. Chapter 2 Holding the Line

Chapter 2: Holding the Line

"So what do they call you?" the Krogan Battlemaster asked in amusement while eyeing Lucas. "You've all got cute little titles you like to go by, right? I'd just like to know which one I'm about to kill. Are you the Enforcer or-"

Lucas didn't give him a chance to finish his question before directing a shockwave at him. The Krogan simply laughed while creating his own barrier before firing a carnage blast at the youth and showering the area with lift grenades.

"Damn it! I've gotta finish this fast!" Lucas muttered in desperation while dodging the assaults and witnessing even more of his men get killed by the onslaught.

Afterwards, he fired a series of monstrously powerful phase disruptors that destroyed his opponent's barrier before following up with a few bursts of fire from his Lumina. The Krogan was seriously wounded by the offensive and quickly flew into a rage before initiating a biotic charge. Lucas responded in kind after increasing his muscle mass with his focus and met the giant head on. The resulting collision shook the entire street that they were battling on and after both men dropped from their charges, they prepared to end the fight. The Battlemaster attempted to fire his shotgun but Lucas quickly retaliated by unleashing a nova that floored the giant.

"You wanted to know what they call me? I'm the Beast of the Abyss." he coldly declared while staring down at the battered Krogan. He then pulled out his Advent Particle Shotgun and fired three fully charged shots that finished off his adversary.

Afterwards, took a moment to catch his breath and survey what remained of his troops. He'd lost half and the others were in rough shape. Luckily like all Vorcha they were resilient, perhaps even more so than usual thanks to the training standards of their military and the Terminus Hunter.

"You still with me, Thorn?" Lucas wearily asked while struggling to catch his breath.

"Big Chief Junior don't have to worry about me." a wily Vorcha engineer assured him while assisting a few of his wounded colleagues. "And we not done yet." he ominously added as a Yahg gunship began circling the group after closing in.

The menace wasted no time before opening fire, forcing Lucas and his surviving men to take cover behind a pile of destroyed vehicles lining the street. To make matters worse, four Blitz mechs suddenly dropped from the ship and began making their way towards the wounded group of soldiers.

"That ship has to go and fast. But I can't let those mechs close in, none of you are in any condition to take them on." Lucas cautiously stated before peering around their cover position and opening fire on the mechs.

"We handle machines, no problem. Big Chief Junior can fight gunship. But don't die. We all like you. Be bad if Big Chief put one of the scary girls in charge or the dangerous mountain." Thorn humorously responded.

Lucas couldn't help but be momentarily amused by Thorn's description of his sisters and younger brother who was still away with Zaeed. He found the fact that the clever young Vorcha hadn't mentioned several of his other siblings to be slightly curious but quickly disregarded the thought as he prepared to take down the gunship that was still bombarding their position with heavy artillery. After taking a deep breath, he suddenly rushed from behind his cover while firing on the aircraft with his Lumina, instantly diverting its attention from the others.

Thorn immediately took advantage of the ship's distraction and fired a submission net that trapped one of the incoming mechs and released an electrical current that zapped the surrounding machines. "Now you burn." he announced in a menacing manner before firing an incineration blast that engulfed the group of mechs in an explosion.

Meanwhile, Lucas found himself on the run from the gunship which seemed to be determined to kill him. After ducking inside a ramshackle tenement building, he began running up the stairs as the airborne menace outside tore into the structure with a volley of heavy artillery rounds that shook the entire premises.

"I never have a missile launcher when I need one." he grumbled in frustration after reaching the landing near a window on a higher floor of the building.

The gunship quickly appeared outside and opened fire, shattering the window and wounding Lucas who barely had time to create another barrier to mitigate the damage. In the middle of the barrage, he tossed a lift grenade at the aircraft and triggered an explosion that caused it to temporarily cease its assault. He quickly took advantage of the opening and dove from the window of the tenement, landing on the front of the gunship and stunning the pilots inside with his sheer nerve. Before they could fully comprehend what he'd done, they found themselves on the receiving end of a massive biotic flare that completely annihilated the cockpit of the vessel and killed everyone inside. The ship quickly went spiraling to the ground and Lucas promptly dove from the hazard with moments to spare before it crashed and exploded. After rolling several yards from where he landed and remaining immobile for several seconds while groaning in pain and exhaustion, he finally struggled to his feet after hearing the ecstatic cheers from his soldiers in the distance. However, the celebrations were quickly cut short when a drop ship full of Forgotten troops arrived to deploy even more hostiles.

"Goddammit!" Lucas coughed while clutching his midsection. He was tired, beat-up and thoroughly frustrated.

As if sensing his weakness, one of the enemy biotics quickly yanked him towards the mayhem with a biotic lash and prepared to execute the young leader with a new model Samaritan Heavy Pistol. Undeterred, Lucas reached for a knife that he'd grown into the habit of carrying and stabbed the pirate in the neck before twisting his foe's arm and using his own gun to take down a trio of his cohorts in rapid succession. He then dropped the dead man to the ground and drew his Advent.

"I'll hold the line, Dad. I swear it." he quietly vowed. "Rain, I'm sorry it all turned out like this." he lamented before opening fire on the newly arrived enemy forces along with his soldiers. After taking out two more enemy biotics, he was suddenly wounded again by an AP round that tore through his shoulder and brought him to his knees.

"Protect Big Chief Junior no matter what!" Thorn shouted after witnessing Lucas fall. The Vorcha all complied and immediately took up defensive positions around their leader while Thorn administered medi-gel to his injuries. "We out of red stuff but this be good enough till we make it back to base."

"Thorn, take the boys and get outta here. That's an order." Lucas commanded while breathing heavily.

"Can't hear you. You too messed up right now." Thorn responded tersely.

"Damn it, you heard me just fine, NOW GO!" Lucas persisted.

Thorn continued to ignore him and began firing his own Lumina at the enemy. "Can't afford to lose Big Chief Junior. Too valuable, too important." he calmly stated.

"You stubborn pack of disobedient little-Alright, let's make these bastards work for it." Lucas announced resolutely while slowly getting to his feet.

As they all prepared to make their final stand, the enemy drop ship suddenly exploded and the combatants that it had deposited found themselves being mowed down from behind by a particle machine gun mounted to a customized Canine tank unit that Lucas instantly recognized based on the emblem that was adorning it. A large, stylized wolf with a purple aura emanating in the background.

"Saved by the Void Slayer, glad you could make it Liv." he quietly joked before falling forward in exhaustion where Thorn and several other Vorcha caught him.

After the remains of the enemy drop ship littered the area and the majority of its former occupants fell to rapid particle fire from the newly arrived tank, two women quickly departed the war machine in a fury and began slaughtering what meager resistance remained while the Vorcha dragged Lucas to safety behind an overturned sky car.

"If my brother has one hair out of place, I'm going to personally tear the limbs from every piece of pirate filth who had the nerve to attack our domain and shove them where no sun's light will ever reach!" Olivia raged before glancing in the direction of Lucas and his men. "FUCKERS!" she promptly exploded after seeing the state her brother was in.

The scattered enemy stragglers grew slightly unnerved. They all knew full well who they were dealing with and weren't eager to face her without significant backup which wasn't incoming at the moment. They immediately attempted a tactical retreat but found themselves trapped inside of a massive stasis bubble that had been created by Olivia's partner.

"Do what you will, Liv. I'm going to check on Lou." Rain calmly stated before departing Olivia's company to check on her boyfriend.

"You're all lucky I'm in a hurry." Olivia furiously continued before unleashing a colossal dark sphere that slowly engulfed the immobile pirates. After imploding the massive sphere of dark energy and annihilating everything in range, she quickly rejoined her friend who was already tending to her brother.

"I really blew it, Rain." Lucas said wearily while staring up into his girlfriend's face as she held him. "I forgot to water the houseplant before we left the apartment for our trip." he humorously added.

"Lou, it's a cactus. I think it'll be fine until we get back." Rain replied softly before gently planting a kiss on his lips.

"Damn it, you're a mess." Olivia lamented while kneeling down beside him. "Why couldn't you have just waited until we got here?"

"Because I won't let them take this city, Liv. The pirates are fighting a losing battle and they know it. Every Vorcha on this planet has been trained for combat and the enemy's landing parties have been learning that the hard way. They're still trying to inflict as much damage as possible to the major infrastructures in order to piss us off so that we'll call for help from one of the fleets protecting Cartagena. But we can't leave the station vulnerable. We just have to hold out until they exhaust themselves and the Grey Fleet can get here. Just a little bit longer." Lucas explained in a completely worn out tone.

"Enough, we're getting you out of here. You need medical attention and rest." Rain sternly ordered before helping him to his feet.

"Who am I to argue with the best girl in the galaxy?" Lucas charmingly quipped as she shouldered his weight and smiled.

"Save it for later, Sweet Talker." Olivia replied in exasperation as they all headed for her tank.

* * *

"It's a good thing Jordy and the twins are safe back on Cartagena." Lucas stated in relief while sharing tea with his sister and friends inside of an infirmary back at their temporary base of operations at a secret Fang barracks that was positioned in the heart of the capital.

"And Ray should still be with Zaeed but they've been training in the Attican Traverse for a year now and probably don't have any idea what's going on. If they end up returning amid this confusion..."

"Don't worry Grace, Zaeed's as tough as they come and so is Ray. Besides, the bulk of the pirates are focusing their aggression on Heshtok. Those two won't likely get ambushed just for entering the Terminus Systems." Lucas assured her.

"The idiotic waste of space is safe on Illium partying with whores and spending Dad's credits as usual, so we don't have to worry about him." Olivia scoffed while thinking of Nate. "What about Rabbit? He should've made contact with us by now."

"He'll be fine, Liv. Rabbit never fails and you should probably cut Nate some slack while you're at it." Lucas suggested.

"Why?!" she replied indignantly. "He's the only one Lou, the ONLY one who hasn't lifted a finger to do anything constructive these past few years. Instead he spends all his time playing around while we do the hard work. I don't know why Mom and Dad let him get away with it." she fumed.

"I'd really appreciate it if you and Ray could just ease off him. That's all I'm asking." Lucas patiently requested while staring at his sister.

"Fine, but if he shows up once this is all over with that stupid look on his face, I swear I'll-"

"I got it, Liv." Lucas replied before releasing a sigh. "So what's the status of our naval forces? They still hanging in there?"

"Leon and Keiko have managed to hold things together so far and they've inflicted substantial damage to the enemy fleets but their numbers are still posing a problem. They've got far too many dreadnoughts in their ranks of both Batarian and Yahg design. The firepower at their disposal can't be ignored." Grace solemnly explained.

"Leon's managed to one-up the bastards so far with minimal losses, let's hope he can keep the trend going. Meanwhile, we should stay focused on the trash that lands planet side. We have to keep the geothermal plants and the capital safe. The military divisions are protecting the bases and most of the civilian areas but the capital is still exposed thanks to the losses we suffered in the initial invasion. After all of the time and energy Dad spent cleaning this place up, I won't let them destroy it all." Lucas quietly vowed.

"This isn't life or death, Lou. Your father would understand if you-"

"I don't care." Lucas sternly cut in before Rain could continue. "I'm going to see this through before he gets back. I won't let him and Mom come home to a ruined planet or a wrecked space station. I WILL settle this before his fleets return."

"You mean WE will." Olivia corrected him. "All we have to do is keep things at a stalemate until Grey Fleet returns from Khar'shan."

"I just hope things are going better over there than they are here." Lucas wearily replied.

After a few moments of silence passed, Rain suddenly cleared her throat. "Would you two mind giving us some time alone?"

"Oh, of course!" Grace replied in a fluster.

"Just remember how banged up he is right now." Olivia teased before exiting the room with Grace.

"Rain, I'm so sorry. I wanted this trip to be special. We've worked so hard these past few months, accomplished so much and it was all because of you. I wanted to spoil you for at least a week on Heshtok before we made our way to my family's vacation home on Bekenstein. And now I've got you staining those beautiful hands in blood, as usual." Lucas lamented.

"When have I ever been a dainty flower that balked at bloodshed? Lou, fighting runs in both our families and in our blood. Don't worry about me, worry about everyone who gets in my way or threatens you because they won't live to regret it." Rain promised before leaning across his bed and caressing his cheek.

"Can we have a do over once this is all settled?"

"Mhmm. But I'll have to do some shopping first. All of the outfits that I got were destroyed when the hotel got bombed, including that black one you liked so much." she explained seductively while leaning in closer.

"Bastards!" Lucas humorously raged before kissing her. Once everything was over, there would definitely be hell to pay.

* * *

Khar'shan, homeworld of the Batarian race and perpetual warzone. The planet and its residents had suffered nothing but calamities since the arrival of the Reapers decades earlier and now under the brutal grip of the Yahg, it seemed like any hope that the Batarians had to recover as a people were lost. The Hegemony had collapsed long ago during the invasion of the Reapers only to be replaced by several short-lived extremist regimes. The war with the Trio promptly destroyed what little functioning government that remained and the Yahg occupation soon replaced it with misery and brutality. Despite the air of hopelessness, there were still some who continued to fight. Batarians who hadn't fled to escape or join pirate bands but who chose to remain and carry on a seemingly futile struggle against an enemy who appeared to be unbeatable, at least by them alone. Fortunately, the bitter and demoralized populace had recently discovered that they weren't as alone as they'd originally believed themselves to be. During the past few years, they'd received help from a very unlikely source. Backchannel support in the form of weapons, armor, medical supplies, food, intel and even a few ground troops and saboteurs. Their benefactor had proven to be a generous man, especially now that he'd dispatched an actual fleet to assist them. It was a move that shocked many, except for the Yahg. They weren't happy about the arrival of the Terminus Hunter's Grey Fleet or the soldiers that were brought with it but they were determined to face them despite their chances. Even if they were doomed to suffer defeat at the hands of the Batarian rebels and their Fang reinforcements, at the very least they'd succeed in delaying them from rejoining their allies. A delay that could prove to be quite costly for the man who many called king...

In a rundown alley within a bombed out city on the planet's surface, a small group of civilians were fleeing for their lives. All across the planet, a miracle was unfolding. For the first time in years, the Yahg were being put on the defensive. Their military installations were being destroyed, their soldiers were being killed and their hold on the populace was finally loosening. Rebels were pressing the newfound advantage and many ordinary folk were joining them by taking up arms while others sought to escape the turmoil by avoiding the fighting and seeking refuge at one of the field bases belonging to the Terminus Fang divisions that were springing up everywhere.

After cutting around a corner at the end of the alley and making their way out into the open, the exhausted group of noncombatants stumbled across a frantic patrol of Yahg soldiers who quickly grew enraged at the sight of them. Terrified, the small group of women, children and elderly immediately backed away as the Yahg closed in. As one of the brutes reached for his gun, he suddenly found himself blasted backwards by a biotic charge. Before he could recover, he was bombarded by a series of phase disruptors. His cohorts quickly diverted their attention to his killer. Standing before them was a young man who was taller than most with muscles to match and wearing the latest variant of the Terminus Hound Armor that was utilized by the Fangs. The youth slowly retracted the visor of his helmet to reveal an infuriatingly familiar face that only served to further incense his adversaries.

"What's the matter? Never seen a Hunter before?" the young man taunted before drawing an intricately designed monomolecular blade whose hilt was shaped like the head of a wolf. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it." he added before releasing a laugh.

Yet another Hunter had entered the field of battle and this one had clearly done it on his own terms and more than likely without anyone else knowing.


	3. Chapter 3 Stowaways

Chapter 3: Stowaways

"What do you say we get started?" the mystery youth quipped before promptly cutting down two more Yahg with devastatingly powerful biotic slash. His attack not only killed them but also sliced through their armor and dismembered them, stunning their cohorts who were slow to react.

The young warrior capitalized on their panic by tearing into another member of their squad with an abnormally powerful warp before pulling out a Will-O-Wisp and firing a volley of shots that took down yet another giant. At that point, the Yahg had become quite enraged and immediately targeted the civilians with their enormous assault rifles. The youth however, reacted instantly by disappearing in a blur after initiating another biotic charge and reappeared in front of the frightened innocents. Using his barrier and maintaining a defensive stance with his blade, he warded off the barrage of gunfire that was unleashed before growing slightly agitated himself.

"You really are a bunch of oversized cowards when it comes right down to it." he scoffed.

He'd successfully protected the civilians but sacrificed his barrier in the process and the Yahg were quick to exploit the advantage. They prepared to fire another volley but suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of a ballistic blade salvo that ripped through their ranks as a young Batarian, who was also sporting a set of Terminus Hound Armor, dove into the fray. The Yahg who weren't immediately killed by the assault attempted to hammer the newcomer with their gauntlet reinforced fists but quickly suffered further injuries when their newest adversary's armor sprouted blades and inflicted several nasty lacerations during their attack. The Batarian then wound up his own punch as a massive omni-gauntlet appeared on his left fist. He then punched one of the giants square in the face, shattering his skull in a potent explosion and bringing down yet another menace.

The three remaining Yahg immediately rushed him after summoning their own massive omni-claws but were quickly gunned down by another human who'd just caught up to his friends. After bringing down the remaining opposition with a pair of hand cannons of the particle variety known as Spark Surges, the newest youth quickly holstered his weapons after skillfully twirling them in his usual but pointlessly flashy display.

"The gunslinger saves the day once again." he confidently announced.

"Keep telling yourself that. It won't change the fact that you were late." his Batarian friend taunted.

"Cut me some slack, pal. Jordy practically moves at the speed of light." he joked. "And your legs are longer than mine so of course you managed to catch up first."

"Jordy, Damen, Travis!" a stern but familiar voiced suddenly shouted in a fury.

"Uh-oh." the Batarian and his pistol wielding friend both muttered together.

Moments later, another teenager joined them. A pretty young woman with slightly tanned skin, cinnamon colored hair and dazzling light brown eyes was already bearing down on them. "What do you think you're doing!? We all agreed to stick together!" she raged.

"Can this wait? We really need to get these people somewhere safe and then regroup with the other landing teams while blending in before anyone realizes what we've done." Jordan irritably responded before turning his attention to the confused civilians they'd just rescued. "This place won't be safe for long. We can lead you to a Fang field base that isn't far from here."

The citizens remained wary of him until his Batarian friend, Damen, approached. "You can trust us, especially Jordy. He's the Terminus Hunter's youngest son but more importantly, he's my best friend and a man worthy of respect. You won't come to any harm if you allow us to help." he assured them.

The sight of one of their own fighting within the Fangs seemed to ease the people's concerns considerably. "How old are you child?" one of the older women in the group asked out of curiosity.

"Younger than you think but old enough to carry the burdens that few others will. I ceased being a boy long ago, before I could even walk so don't concern yourselves with me. I haven't seen this place since my uncle fled with me when I was still being swaddled but it's my home nonetheless and I intend to drive these eight-eyed kra'tash from here with my own hands. But not at the cost of the people. Now please, follow us." Damen sincerely requested.

The civilians exchanged curious looks with one another before finally complying. A moment later the group set off towards the field camp where they'd slipped in only days earlier after hitching a ride on a landing shuttle that departed the cruiser they'd stowed away on. The teenagers would undoubtedly be in a lot of trouble if anyone within the Fangs discovered who they really were and what they'd done to get there.

"Jordy, are you hurt? You rushed off by yourself as usual and those Yahg looked dangerous." Cherish anxiously inquired.

"I'm fine." Jordan responded tersely. "Yahg are always dangerous and it's not your job to be worried about me anyway. Save the concerns for your new boyfriend back at home."

"Matthias isn't my boyfriend! How many times am I going to-"

"Oh man, here we go again with this crap." Travis interrupted in exasperation.

"She did kiss him. That's a big deal for humans, right?" Damen curiously remarked.

"Yeah, it is." Jordan angrily agreed. "I thought so at least." he quietly added before pressing forward.

Less than an hour later, the group arrived at the Fang field camp amid a frenzy of activity. Troops were moving out, civilians were pouring in and gunships were taking off to head towards their next destinations. It was easy enough for Jordan and his friends to pass through without arousing suspicion and once they ensured that the civilians that they'd accompanied were safely deposited at an emergency shelter for noncombatants, they quickly snuck back to the small barracks they'd claimed during their initial arrival.

"See? Piece of cake." Travis quipped as they strolled inside. "We got to get in on some action again, saved a few civvies and no one's the wiser."

"I wouldn't say that." a familiar voice responded in amusement. Sitting on one of their bunks was one of the last people they ever expected to encounter during their excursion. "Helluva stunt you brats managed to pull."

"Damn it." Jordan grumbled. "Okay, you caught us Randall. But please, can we just keep this between us? We had to come here, no matter what and I knew my family wouldn't approve."

"If it were up to me, I'd put you to work and call it a day." Randall replied earnestly before slowly getting to his feet. "But I'm not the one calling the shots on the ground. Let's go." he added with a trace of sympathy before leading the way back outside of their tent.

It didn't come as a surprise when he brought them to the camp's command center where a calm but extremely angry woman with long dark hair and enigmatic eyes that were gleaming with a carefully restrained rage was awaiting them.

"Um, hi Fox." Jordan nervously greeted the senior Fang member.

"Jordy, this isn't like you. You're the last one we expect any mischief from and yet you've gone out of your way to sneak into one of the most dangerous military operations that we're carrying out right now. I hope you're aware of how serious this is." Fox sternly explained while eyeing the youths.

"Don't blame Jordy. He was simply accompanying me." Damen explained.

"Your uncle made it quite clear that you weren't to be involved in this battle. Cralle was rather emphatic on that point." Fox informed him.

"Uncle means well but I have my own journeys to make. He needn't protect me anymore. This planet was my home in the past. Its people are my people and regardless of where I walk now, that won't ever change. I couldn't stand aside and do nothing while the fight to finally free them was being waged." Damen insisted.

"And I couldn't stand aside while my friend walked into a warzone. I can be punished later but right now I'm seeing this through, Fox." Jordan resolutely added.

"Same here. Plus, I don't plan on being the one to tell Liv about this." Travis joked.

"I'm here for Damen as well. Mother will probably be upset with me when she returns with Mal and the others but I've made my decision." Cherish stated determinedly. "And Jordy needs someone to-"

"Jordy doesn't need a damn thing from you." Jordan quickly cut in. "We didn't ask you to tag along in the first place. You know what? Feel free to send her back home, Fox. Let her precious boyfriend put up with the hassle." he bitterly continued, visibly upsetting her. He immediately regretted what he'd said after meeting her eyes which were now filled with tears but promptly turned away to continue his argument with Fox. "Anyway, we're all here now, you'll just have to deal with it."

"A group of teenagers dares to tell me what they plan to do during MY military campaign? Or have I misunderstood?" Fox responded coolly while quietly seething. "I'm only going to say this once. The four of you are going to stay here until we've completed our operations. You will remain in the barracks that you unlawfully procured and you're going to stay out of everyone's way until further notice. Am I making myself clear?"

"We can handle ourselves Fox, we've already proven that plenty of times since we got here and-"

"Am I making myself clear?" Fox reiterated more sternly while locking eyes with Jordan before he could finish his retort.

"Yes, ma'am." Jordan sharply responded with a look of defiance.

"Good, now return to your tent. Randall will keep an eye on you for the time being." Fox ordered.

The youths hesitantly obeyed while giving her the most mutinous looks imaginable. Once they and their new chaperone were gone, she released a sigh. "Rika, you trained him too well."

* * *

"This is bullshit!" Jordan raged while pacing around his barracks in a fury. "Dad took down Vorcha gangs when he was seventeen and I just wiped the floor with a bunch of Yahg at the ripe old age of fifteen! I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm a damn baby!"

"It is starting to get annoying." Travis agreed while lounging on his bunk.

"I was hoping I'd be able to do more once we arrived here. I suppose I'll have to be satisfied knowing that we saved a few dozen people who would've otherwise been killed in the streets like animals." Damen contemplated from his own bunk.

"Jordy," Cherish quietly began, "Nevermind." she quickly added while lowering her head in thought as she nervously shifted on the chair she was sitting on.

"Impatience must run in the family." Randall mused while observing Jordan. "Don't be too hard on Fox, she's got a lot on her mind right now."

"Like what? We've got these bastards beat and everyone knows it. I just can't figure out why they're still trying to hold out here. They're actually fighting us to the last man and defending their bases like there's no tomorrow." Jordan replied while pondering the enemy's motivations.

"They're trying to drag this out for as long as possible." Randall casually stated. "The situation's the same in space. Most of their fleet has been annihilated and now they're delaying us with suicidal diversionary tactics. That's part of the reason why Fox is so stressed at the moment."

"What do you mean?" Cherish curiously inquired.

Randall took a moment to survey his young charges before finally coming to a decision. "Hell, we've got nothing else to lose at this point. What I'm about to tell you is classified, most of the ground troops don't even know yet. A few hours ago, the Yahg tried to drop a decommissioned space station on the planet. Luckily, Fox had a few of her people board the damned thing and avert a catastrophe. Before they reversed its course though, they discovered that the space station wasn't the only large scale kinetic impacter that those giants were planning to drop. Two asteroids were being mined for materials just outside of the planet's orbit before we got here and now they're both on a collision course for Khar'shan. You've gotta appreciate the irony but I guess you brats are too young to know anything about Terra Nova and the X57 incident." he explained.

"Actually I do." Jordan quickly countered. "My grandmother died in that mess, Mom cries about it sometimes when she and Dad are alone…she still regrets that she never got to know grandma."

"I suppose that's why she bears such a harsh grudge against Batarians. I guess I would too if I were in her position." Damen thoughtfully added.

"So, wait a minute. The Yahg are using old school Batarian terrorist tactics?" Travis asked incredulously.

"This is pretty disgraceful even for them. Having our planet destroyed by methods that the worst of our extremists pioneered in the past." Damen lamented. "But why? Why would they go this far? They're prepared to die themselves in a calamity that they engineered. Are they that vindictive?"

"Like I said before, this is all one big diversion." Randall continued before hesitating slightly. "Not long ago, the fleet got a distress call from Heshtok. It's being attacked by almost every pirate in the Terminus Systems along with the bulk of the Forgotten, Yahg Marauders and Batarian Raiders. I guess their common hatred for the Terminus Hunter superseded their disgust for each other. That's the only way I figure they could've joined hands. The bastards here are just trying to delay us and do as much damage as they can in the process. My guess is they're trying to lure out the fleets protecting Cartagena and they're doing one helluva a job hammering Heshtok in the process."

"Heshtok!? But Lou, Liv, Leon and the others, that's where they went for their vacation!" Jordan shouted in outrage. "You mean to tell me they're caught up in-Damn it! I've gotta get to them!"

"Calm down and listen. They're hanging in there so far but they definitely need our help and we can't leave until we stop those asteroids. An hour ago, Cralle took a team to secure the final Yahg command center where the controls for the asteroids' thrusters are located. It's our good fortune that we don't have to manually shut them off but that base was heavily guarded and we haven't heard back from him yet. Time's running out and Barney is planning to assemble another team once he gets back from the front near the capital but he's gonna need a lot more divisions to stand a better chance than Cralle did. So right now, we're kinda fucked." Randall explained frankly.

"No, we aren't." Jordan replied resolutely. "Randall, take me to that command center. I'll handle the rest."

"I'll join you. If something has happened to Uncle…I'll finish what he started." Damen firmly announced.

"I'm going too. You idiots are completely helpless without me." Travis humorously added.

"Then it's settled, we're all heading out." Cherish agreed.

"Yeah, 'we', as in me and my boys. You're staying right here where it's safe, case closed." Jordan sternly ordered.

"And exactly who's going to make me?" Cherish challenged after shooting from her seat and approaching Jordan while staring daggers at him.

He returned her glare while lowering his head as she leaned upward to meet his eyes. The defiant gazes that they were directing at each other remained unchanged even as their faces drew closer together.

"This crap _again_." Travis sighed in exasperation. "Just kiss each other and be done with it. The mutual attraction, the life and death situation, the pent-up frustration, the fact that you've been crushing on each other since we were all kids, everyone gets it. Now hurry up and work through your dumbass problems so we can save Khar'shan and then Heshtok. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

"Shut up!" Jordan irritably responded after distancing himself from Cherish in embarrassment. "She already has a boyfriend or at least a guy she wants to go out with."

"Why are you so stupid?! For the last time, Matthias is NOT my boyfriend. Get it through your head! And you don't have any right to be jealous! Did you have fun feeling up Zel'me?! That's right, I know about it! I saw you two together!"

Jordan went slightly red at the remark before quickly recovering. "You know what? I did, I had a LOT of fun and I can't wait to get back to have even more once this business is settled. It'll be nice getting closer to a real woman."

"GO TO HELL!"

"I will! In the soft, sweet lap of an asari!"

"What did you start?" Damen asked his meddlesome friend while observing the shouting match.

"Yeah, okay. This one's on me." Travis guiltily admitted. "Do you think he really nailed Zel'me?"

"I hate to interrupt your little teen drama but I've got business to take care of." Randall casually interjected. "And you wonder why everyone treats you like children." he derisively added, instantly silencing the bickering youths. "Under normal circumstances, I'd leave your sorry asses here but we're running low on time and options. It's gonna take Barney way too long to organize the men he needs and I'm not planning to die just yet. You brats are the closest thing to soldiers that I have to work with right now, so gear up and get ready. I've got a plan."

"Seriously?!" Travis asked in disbelief.

"What can I say? I'm a lousy babysitter." Randall replied before smiling a little.

* * *

Sometime later, outside of a massive Yahg military complex, a small group of soldiers were preparing to board their modified Gaia mechs in preparation for another possible incursion attempt on their base. After performing a quick patrol around the hangar where they stored their war machines, they quickly regrouped and opened the large doors that led inside. The moment they did, each behemoth was killed in rapid succession by a carefully aimed particle shot from a Spectrum Sniper Rifle. Their mystery killer then snuck into their hangar while cloaked and calmly hacked into the security and surveillance systems for the outer perimeter of their installation before shutting them down entirely and sending a signal to his young cohorts. Moments later, the group of teens joined him inside of the hangar where they prepared to carry out the next phase of his plan.

"Wow. You really are a sharpshooter. Not as good as me though." Travis quipped while examining the bodies of the dead Yahg."

"You can be a wise ass all you want later, punk. Right now just get inside one of those mechs and start causing as much mayhem as you can at the front entrance until the Yahg start dispatching reinforcements. When they do, kill as many as you can before bailing out and retreating to the rendezvous location I told you about earlier. I'll slip inside and cause a few more disturbances myself once they deploy their first wave of troops. The rest of you will head for the thruster controls inside. You'll have to cut through the basement after you take the maintenance shaft from this hangar and from there, you're on your own. The intel we've got on this place is sketchy at best." Randall explained.

"We understand, Randall. And thanks for trusting us with this." Jordan replied earnestly.

"Like I said before, I don't have much of a choice kid. We've got too many guys in the field right now and this has to get done. Fox can chew me out later, assuming we're all still alive." Randall stated wryly.

"Well, you've got my gratitude too." Travis cheerfully remarked before swiftly making his way into the cockpit of a nearby Gaia mech. The machine quickly sprang to life as he grabbed the controls and he immediately took aim at the other machines in the hangar. "You should all probably get clear." he warned.

"Have fun you lunatic!" Jordan joked as he, Damen and Cherish sprinted for the maintenance shaft while Randall instantly disappeared from view after cloaking.

As the trio descended the shaft they promptly heard the sounds of rocket fire and explosions above them. "It's as though Randall knew he'd be the perfect man for such a job." Damen humorously commented as they continued their descent.

The corridor at the bottom was almost completely dark but several dimly lit lights running along the tunnel's walls provided just enough light to see ahead. The young soldiers cautiously made their way forward and eventually reached a door. They all stopped after hearing the furious sounds of snarling and what they could only interpret as humming. Loud, sad, and strangely melodic humming that seemed to resonate across the chamber. A few moments later the snarling grew more ferocious and the humming suddenly stopped and was replaced by an earsplitting roar of agony that appeared to shake the door.

Unwilling to hesitate any further, Jordan gave the nod to his friend and Damen quickly opened the doorway standing before them and tossed a pair of inferno grenades inside after catching four Yahg guards by surprise. The bruisers instantly fell after being engulfed in flames and the trio carefully entered the room the guards had been protecting. It soon became apparent that they were now traversing a prison level. The area was filled with holding cells but sadly the occupants were no longer among the living. Most of the jails were filled with the lifeless bodies of Batarians but a few held the tortured and mangled remains of several Terminus Fangs who were only recognizable due to their armor.

"Uncle! Damn it, NO!" Damen frantically shouted while scanning the area for any sign of the only family he had left in the galaxy.

"Damen, he's not here." Jordan gently informed him. "Which means he wasn't caught or-"

"Or they're in the middle of torturing him right now! When I get my hands on those murderous kra'tash-"

"Pardon me but if you happen to be looking for a Batarian member of your group, I'm afraid he was taken some time ago." a deep and placid voice suddenly interjected.

The trio of teens instantly whipped their heads around to discover the very last thing that any of them expected. Inside of a cell that was separated from the rest was a massive, heavily shackled Yahg. The giant was wearing all manner of restraints and appeared to be suffering from a multitude of bruises and contusions. Despite that, he actually seemed to be in a good mood and even began humming. The melody was the very same one they'd all heard earlier.

"What the hell?" Jordan whispered in shock.

"Oh, was my droning perhaps distracting you from your mission? Do forgive me, it certainly wouldn't be the first time that my love of music has gotten me into trouble. Though it does help a great deal in getting me through the beatings and the more sadistic punishments of my brethren." the Yahg politely responded.

"Y-You're a Yahg, right?" Cherish quietly asked in an almost mystified tone.

"Indeed I am. But based on the looks that you're all giving me, I imagine that your perception of my people is a sour one. Sadly, it's also probably quite accurate." the mystery Yahg lamented. "Ah, but where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Garr. A pleasure to make your acquaintance or it would be if I weren't in such a deplorable state at the moment. Nevertheless, a man should always do what he can to enjoy new meetings with good people and I have a feeling that you more than meet that criterion." the Yahg added in a somewhat jovial tone. He was without a doubt a complete anomaly and perhaps more.


	4. Chapter 4 An Unlikely Ally

Chapter 4: An Unlikely Ally

"Why exactly are you being held prisoner?" Jordan asked while examining the imprisoned giant who was calmly sitting inside of his cell.

"I'm afraid that's a long and complicated story, though the short version is simple. I abhor unnecessary violence and I don't have any desire to conquer anyone. As you might guess, these aren't traits that many of my fellows share." Garr explained.

"If anything you just said is true then why are you on my planet?" Damen suspiciously inquired while fixing all four of his eyes on the Yahg prisoner and tilting his head forward.

"Because I happened to be born in the wrong place and amid the wrong culture." Garr quietly lamented. "You see, I grew up in the aftermath of my people's defeat at the hands of the Terminus Hunter and Aria T'Loak. It was a difficult time, the Yahg don't handle defeat well and being humbled was a sobering and infuriating experience for us. It didn't come as a surprise when many of my kin began organizing into Marauder bands. The clan leaders were of course quick to lend their support, albeit discreetly, while they placated the Council and its inspectors with false platitudes and promises of reform. Meanwhile, the strongest and most cunning of our warriors were already being sent off to wage raiding campaigns in the galaxy's most lawless regions and some were even sent here to assist the commanders in maintaining their hold on the planet…and to also help wipe out the local resistance. We aren't a very charming species, are we?"

"You actually sound sad." Cherish sympathetically offered. "But that still doesn't explain how you got here."

"I'm something of a rarity among my people. I've always preferred creating things as opposed to destroying them. While my brethren spent their formative years indulging in the brutality and social maneuvering that are commonplace in our culture, I spent my time tinkering with the modified remnants of technology that our predecessors had pillaged from the Salarians. I found it to be a far more satisfying diversion than challenging potential 'rivals' for leadership of my clan. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go unnoticed for long due to my formidable physical attributes and above average intellect. I was viewed as a possible threat by one of my former acquaintances who'd risen through the ranks and claimed leadership of our pack. Rather than kill me, he decided to eject me from the clan and hand me over to the Dominators." Garr carefully explained.

"The who?" Jordan asked in confusion.

"The Dominators, the shadow faction that secretly rules Parnack at the moment. I'm afraid that the current delegation of 'leaders' who occasionally engage in talks with the Council's emissaries are nothing more than puppets. Parnack's true leaders are a highly skilled and ruthless caste made up of the strongest and most resourceful warriors of this generation. They're the ones responsible for arming, training and deploying the Marauders. They even oversaw my own training. I'm sure you've heard of and possibly even encountered Yahg Soldiers, Siege Warriors and Goliath Troopers but there are other designations within our military. I for example was trained to be an Annihilator." Garr continued.

"Which is?" Jordan prodded.

"I suppose you could interpret the role as being similar to that of an engineer but with more emphasis on destruction. I count myself lucky that my talents for decryption were utilized far more frequently and allowed me to avoid needless bloodshed." Garr elaborated in relief. "More often than not, I found myself intercepting and analyzing different transmissions from across the galaxy in the hopes of discovering possible raiding targets and also to secure intelligence on the various militaries that often send patrols near the Attican Traverse and other hostile regions of space. I'm sorry to say that the information I procured likely led to the deaths of many and allowed the Marauders to expand into other anarchistic areas of the galaxy. Though at the time, I didn't really give it much thought. I was provided with all of the tools required to perform my objectives and as long as I delivered, I was left alone and free to continue my personal pursuits. For awhile, I was completely satisfied."

"So what changed? If you don't mind us asking" Cherish gently asked.

"I mentioned before how I enjoy music, well that passion happens to be a fairly recent development for me. As I spent the years decoding and analyzing different transmissions from all corners of space, I eventually discovered something I'd never encountered before. A melody of such beauty and inspiration that I was compelled to search for more. My investigations led me to a wealth of songs by a mystery composer known only as DJ 10-M8N." Garr cheerfully responded while perking up.

"No way. You can't be serious." Jordan replied in utter disbelief while Cherish struggled to suppress her growing laughter.

"Oh, I'm quite serious." Garr fervently assured him. "I don't have the vaguest idea who this musical prodigy happens to be but I'm certain that whoever they are, they've taken a great deal of inspiration from humanity's musical innovations. Anyway, my newfound obsession drew unwanted attention from my superiors who quickly grew annoyed with my hobby and eventually I was transferred to Khar'shan and placed in a ground division. I didn't take well to the change. As I've said before, I have a certain distaste for needless bloodshed and I don't have a very pronounced history when it comes to battle. What little experience I do have outside of my initial training involved killing other pirates, a task that I found more annoying than anything else. But soon after arriving here, I was instructed to kill a family of civilians who'd refused to relinquish information about a relative in the resistance. In the end, I allowed them to escape and prevented my comrades at the time from pursuing them. You can imagine how well that decision turned out for me. Still, I am alive and I'll probably stay that way as long as they need someone to decrypt a transmission or service their weapons though I've recently taken a great deal of pleasure in providing the commander here with false information and sabotaging a few of the armaments when given the opportunity."

"If you really went out of your way to do that, they would've killed you already." Damen skeptically replied while continuing his careful observation of the prisoner.

"You might be right. In fact, before you arrived a few of my former colleagues were preparing to 'deal with me' so to speak. I'm not sure exactly how far they would've taken my punishment but I have a feeling they weren't planning to restrain themselves." Garr explained before groaning slightly. "And they have recently received a replacement who's far more cooperative than I am. He's actually done something rather insane and I fear we may all be embracing death before long."

"Damn it, how much do you wanna bet that their new Annihilator is the one who hacked those asteroids?" Jordan asked his friends in frustration before turning his attention back to Garr. After staring at him for a few moments, he came to a decision. "Garr, if I let you out, will you help us secure the controls for the asteroid thrusters and reverse their course?"

"Jordy, are you out of your mind?! He's a Yahg, the enemy! Nothing he says can be trusted! Consider everything they've done! Their entire species is a blight on everyone's existence!" Damen instantly protested.

"I've heard that before about Vorcha, Krogan _and_ Batarians." Jordan reminded him. "Most Yahg are scumbags, there's no denying it. But I'm not about to condemn the first decent one I've met because of his asshole cousins. I'd never judge anyone just because they happened to share the same blood as a few psychopaths. Dad taught me that and he even brought Mom around, kind of. You're always saying that the best way to change people's perceptions is to be the opposite of what they expect. Well, that works both ways Damen. It's time to prove whether or not you really believe in what you preach or if you're just a hypocrite when it really counts."

Damen glared at him for a moment before releasing a stream of Batarian obscenities and finally pounding his fist against the wall near Garr's cell. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you, one step out of line and you'll meet the same fate as them." he threatened while pointing out the bodies of the dead guards that were littering the room.

"He still hasn't actually agreed to help us." Cherish reminded him.

"So what'll it be Garr?" Jordan persisted.

"I'll assist you. I don't wish to see this planet destroyed but if you can't believe that, than at least trust in the fact that I have no desire to die here either." Garr assured them.

"That's good enough for me." Jordan cheerfully replied. "Damen?"

"Fine, he's convinced me how strong his instincts for self-preservation are." Damen reluctantly agreed.

After a few minutes of work, the youths managed to open Garr's cell and release him from the enormous shackles that had been binding him. Once freed, the former prisoner took a moment to stretch his considerable bulk before leisurely making his way outside the jail and staring down at his former captors.

"Would you have any objections to my having a weapon?" Garr politely requested. "This base is quite dangerous. I can lead you on the safest route to the thruster controls but it will still be a treacherous journey."

"Out of the question. Why would we-"

"Damen, chill. Grab what you need, Garr." Jordy calmly consented.

"You have my thanks." Garr cordially responded before picking up a heavy pistol from one of his dead jailors.

"Are you sure that's all you need?" Cherish cautiously inquired while observing him.

"Yes, I've never favored large firearms like many of my former colleagues and I have other ways of dealing with hostile aggressors." he assured her. "Forgive me for bringing this up now but…it's just that I've already given you my name and even regaled you with a bit of my personal history. I was hoping you could perhaps reciprocate the gesture."

"Not a problem." Jordan casually replied. "I'm Jordan Hunter and these are my friends, Cherish and Damen."

"Hunter? You don't mean-"

"You heard right, his father was the one who brought down your empire." Damen quickly cut in.

"Hmm, I can see the resemblance now. Your father's likeness is well known across the Terminus Systems and in many underworld circles." Garr mused after taking a few steps towards Jordan and getting a closer look at his face. "Fascinating, I've heard tales of the Terminus Hunter's children-Most recently of his older offspring. The Beast of the Abyss has killed many in an effort to secure your father's domains and the mere mention of the Void Slayer gives even the most hardened Goliath Troopers reason to pause." Garr thoughtfully explained.

"Yeah, well, Lou and Liv are amazing. Everyone's always known that." Jordan responded with a hint of pride. "Those two really are the best."

"For now." Cherish quietly added while glancing at him.

"Not to interrupt but we really should get moving and quickly. We have to stop those asteroids and I also want to find out where they've taken my uncle." Damen urgently stated.

"He's right, let's move!" Jordan ordered.

Their trek through the expansive military complex was made considerably easier for several reasons. The first being the fact that many of the base's personnel were preoccupied with a rogue Gaia mech that was rampaging outside of the main entrance. Even more were being killed before they could respond to the crisis or even leave their posts as a certain veteran infiltrator killed his way across the higher levels of the compound while sabotaging security. Then there was Garr, who true to his word, led the trio of friends along the safest route that led to the thruster controls. They encountered little resistance along the way and the few scattered soldiers who did cross paths with them were quickly silenced before they could call for backup. When they finally made their way to the door on the ground level that led into the chamber housing their goal, they were promptly greeted by the sounds of screaming from inside.

"That voice…Uncle!" Damen desperately shouted before barging inside while his companions followed.

The scene that awaited them was not only ominous but distressing. Damen's uncle, Cralle, was lying at the feet of an enormous Yahg commander who was being flanked by a pair of siege warriors and goliath troopers while another giant with an omni-gauntlet stood guard over a control terminal that was the key to everyone's salvation. Adding to the confusion and panic was a fading image behind the Yahg Commander, that of a turian covered in armor and wearing a helmet. The glimpse of the mystery soldier was brief and his profile was long gone before anyone could wager a guess as to who he was. The full scope of the situation was irrelevant as far as a young Batarian was concerned. At that moment, the only thing that mattered to him was getting to his uncle.

"Uncle, say something! Damn it, what did you bastards do to him!" Damen roared.

"Is this the best they have? I was expecting a few of the so called 'elite' members of the Fangs, not a handful of children and a beaten down traitor." the Yahg commander scoffed while eyeing the youths and their companion.

"Damen, what are you doing here?!" Cralle finally coughed. "You have to leave, NOW! This planet, our home, it's doomed thanks to these monsters. All of you, get out of here! You have to warn Mal about-"

A shot to the stomach from a Samaritan quickly cut his plea short and the Yahg commander immediately diverted his attention back to the group of youths after he fired it.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Damen roared while rushing headfirst towards the commander.

"Garr, no matter what happens, stop those asteroids. I know you said you don't like violence but we're out of options here and my friend needs me." Jordan explained in a serious manner before pulling out his monomolecular blade.

"Jordan, don't worry about me. I said I prefer to avoid _needless_ bloodshed. Given the current situation, I'd say our need is quite great." Garr calmly responded. "And I believe my replacement and I need to have a few words." he added before bolting towards the thruster control terminal.

"Cherish, just in case we don't make it out of here…I want you to know that it was always you and it always will be." Jordan quietly announced before disappearing in a blur after initiating a biotic charge, leaving her speechless.

As he closed in on the Yahg commander, Damen fired a salvo of ballistic blades from his gauntlet that were immediately intercepted and blocked by the goliath troopers whose massive armor absorbed the hazards with no noticeable damage.

"Damn it!" he muttered while pulling out a Lumina and opening fire.

He concentrated his fire on one of the behemoths and succeeded in breaching his armor but not before he was blasted backwards by a concussive shot that left him lying on his back and quite vulnerable. The enemy Yahg all took aim at him with their Claymores and let loose a string of carnage blasts that he narrowly avoided by rolling out of the way. After avoiding the bombardment he tossed an inferno grenade at the opposition, scattering them and opening a path towards their leader. The young Batarian quickly got to his feet and broke into a sprint but was almost waylaid by a swipe from a siege warrior's transformed omni-claw. His overeager assailant was hammered soon afterwards by a biotic charge and impaled by a sword thrust to the neck.

"I'll handle the flunkeys, get to your uncle and wipe the smile off that oversized asswipe's face!" Jordan furiously shouted before engaging the remaining Yahg forces. Damen quickly nodded and continued his dash while quietly thanking his friend. "Goliath troopers and siege warriors, that's just fine by me." Jordan confidently stated before firing a string of phase disruptors at the final siege warrior who attempted to protect himself from the onslaught with a riot shield after transforming his omni-gauntlet. His shield was quickly torn apart and he still suffered significant injuries from the assault but before Jordan could take advantage of the opening he found himself under fire from the two goliath troopers who were targeting him with new model Revenant machine guns.

He responded by creating a barrier and diving behind a desk near the fallen siege warrior. "Can't afford to hold back. Sorry Libra, I know you warned me not to use this outside of practice until I was older but I have to finish this."

A moment later, he increased his muscle mass using his focus and initiated another biotic charge that was even more powerful than his previous one. After colliding with the wounded siege warrior he promptly drew his Will-O-Wisp and finished him off with a flurry of shots before firing a warp at the nearest goliath trooper. His intended target instantly blocked his offensive with a transformed riot shield and quickly made himself even deadlier by transforming his shield into a large armored tech gauntlet and fortifying his already formidable combat armor with Foucault Currents. His cohort did the same and both giants promptly converged on Jordan and simultaneously pummeled him with their reinforced omni-gauntlets, destroying his barrier in the process and slamming him to the floor. As he struggled to get to his feet, a shotgun blast suddenly tore through his legs.

"No more dancing for you." one of the troopers gleefully taunted afterwards.

He and his partner unloaded another barrage but Jordan quickly rolled out of the path of gunfire before painfully returning to his feet. "Come on with it then." he defiantly challenged as his legs buckled from the pain and his body ached from the aftereffects of using the focus technique. He drew both his sword and gun and readied both while glaring at the bruisers closing in. Before they could get any closer and fire more rounds, both giants were hit with a rather potent reave before being sliced through by an agile young woman who was wrapped in a highly destructive biotic aura. After almost eviscerating the hulking titans with her poison strike, the woman pulled out a Spark Surge and opened fire at point blank range on each of her targets, finally bringing them down. Once they'd fallen, she turned her attention to her ailing friend.

"Cherish, what the-"

"I told you once before when were children. I'll be your blade whenever you need me to be. It was only natural that I'd learn how to turn my body into one should the need arise." Cherish casually interrupted while examining his wounded legs. "This isn't too bad, so I think regular medi-gel will do." she calmly added before administering treatment to his injuries.

"You're really amazing, you know that?" Jordan fondly stated while gazing into her eyes.

"Jordy?" she whispered as their faces grew closer. "The others."

"What?" Jordan asked before quickly realizing that they were still in the middle of a life and death struggle with the fate of a world at stake. "Damen and Garr! What the hell is wrong with me?!"

"Lots of things but I love you anyway." Cherish replied sincerely before kissing him. She then wrapped herself in another biotic aura and zoomed towards Damen and the Yahg commander.

"I really can't afford to die now." Jordan said resolutely while smiling.

"The commander's handpicked elite guards, beaten by a pair of children. What a sad display of ineptitude. Does their victory give you some measure of vindication, Garr?" the opposing Yahg annihilator placidly inquired while exchanging fire with his predecessor.

Both men were blocking each other's shots with transformed riot shields while exchanging a frenzy of tech attacks that were demolishing the surrounding area. "Landris, is it all simply a game to you? Do you have any regard for the irreversible carnage your actions will bring here?" Garr asked plainly after blocking an incineration blast with his shield.

"No." his opponent replied dully. "Sacrificing this planet, its people and ourselves will harm the Terminus Wolves a great deal. The price is worth it and if you were any sort of real Yahg, you'd agree. Have you forgotten the core tenet of the Dominators' code?"

"Live to conquer and die to slaughter. I remember it well." Garr replied. "You are right about one thing, I'm not a very good Yahg."

A moment later he transformed his riot shield into a small, form fitting omni-glove with a glowing sphere in its palm. He then created a massive power surge that overwhelmed his enemy and shorted out his omni-gauntlet, forcing his altered riot shield to revert back to its initial form.

"That was impressive, you've clearly grown adept at manipulating the phase alteration functions to a superb degree. But omni-gauntlets can only get you so far." Landris coolly stated while secretly deploying a combat drone behind Garr. "It's a lesson you won't live to learn."

The drone suddenly shot forward but was promptly destroyed by the swift slash of a monomolecular blade wielded by a young expert. "And I'm afraid following our people can't get you far at all." Garr lamented before firing a concentrated incineration blast from his omni-gloved palm. The resulting explosion killed his adversary and freed the way towards the thruster controls.

"Sorry if I overstepped my bounds there but I couldn't let that bastard kill you." Jordan said apologetically while limping towards Garr.

"There's no need for apologies, Jordan. You've once again saved my life and I'm grateful. I'd like to express my gratitude further but only after we've prevented the catastrophe that my people have set in motion." Garr gratefully replied before making his way to the controls and getting to work.

Meanwhile, Damen found himself on the receiving end of a savage beating at the hands of the Yahg commander who was thoroughly enjoying his skirmish with the youth. "You like that boy?! We picked this up from the Alliance's 'illustrious' N7s! You'd be surprised what you can learn by severing a dead Paladin's arm!" he laughed after delivering yet another burning strike with his riot shield, scorching part of Damen's armor and flooring him.

He then pulled out his Samaritan and prepared to fire but was immediately wounded after Cherish seemingly floated by and slashed him across the back with a poison strike. He roared in agony and was injured further when Damen fired a concentrated blast from his Lumina that ripped through his armor and dropped the giant.

"You think you've won? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I've still killed you. I've killed us all!" the commander laughed maniacally before tapping a few controls on his omni-tool.

The pair of teens went on guard but after several seconds of silence nothing seemed to happen and eventually Garr appeared with Jordy. "I'm afraid I disarmed the explosives you planted inside the terminal Commander and of course reversed the thrusters on the asteroids. It would appear this is where your madness comes to an end."

"Damn you Garr, do you realize what you've done?!" the commander coughed while staring up at him in disgust. "That worthless turian. I could've blown the whole base before you interfered if only he hadn't demanded we drag that pathetic Batarian Fang up here…" he wheezed before finally succumbing to his injuries.

"Turian? I wonder if he was referring to the man we saw at the communication terminal when we first arrived? Curious." Garr pondered.

"I don't really care what he was talking about, right now we need to check on Cralle." Jordan urgently stated.

"I agree. Uncle, hold on." Damen concurred before approaching his uncle and frantically administering first aid.

After several nerve-wracking minutes, the older Batarian slowly roused back to consciousness and stared up at his rescuers. "Is it over? We're all still alive, so I guess you must've succeeded."

"Uncle, don't do that to me." Damen replied in relief before releasing a sigh.

"Or me. I can't have one of Dad's best guys dying on my watch." Jordan joked.

"Jordy? And Cherish too. You shouldn't be here, none of you should be here." Cralle groaned before struggling to sit up." After getting his bearings, he suddenly took notice of Garr and nearly fell over backwards. "Friend of yours?"

"Believe it or not, yes. I think he is." Damen reluctantly stated while glancing back at their Yahg companion.

"I'm not even gonna try to guess at what you three have been up to or should I say four? Travis is probably here too. You reckless children. But I'm grateful to you, all of you." Cralle said earnestly while placing a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Let's get out of here. I need to meet with Fox and we all need to rejoin the fleet as soon as possible and head for Heshtok."

"We already know about the invasion." Jordan informed him.

"I'm afraid it's worse than that, Jordy. There's far more than just collusion among pirates going on here. There's a SPECTRE involved as well." Cralle warned them.

"WHAT?" the teens all shouted in shock.

"That is rather surprising." Garr thoughtfully stated.

"It would seem the Council has finally decided to make a move against Mal and dispatched one of their dogs to do the dirty work. Rile up a few agitators and let them go to war against the man they fear the most. It doesn't matter who wins, they still benefit. A conflict like this could rid them of a large number of pirates, warlords and mercenaries who all fall outside of their jurisdiction. It's exactly the kind of plan they'd execute and they've got full deniability. Worst case scenario, they'll just claim he went rogue." Cralle scoffed.

"Cralle, are you sure about this?" Jordan seriously asked.

"Jordy, I saw the man with my own eyes before he put his helmet on. Vellus Eraslin. He's one of their most famous agents right now." Cralle explained.

"I've heard about him too. He prevented a terrorist attack on the Citadel a few years ago." Cherish added.

"Layla and Sasha are gonna love this. They're always telling me I'm too naïve. Ray does too. Let's hurry up. I want to get to Heshtok as soon as possible before that bastard's twisted little scheme succeeds." Jordan seethed.

"Jordy, they'll be fine. Lou is a fantastic leader and so are Liv and Leon." Cherish assured him.

"I know that, Cherish. But still…they're my family." Jordan quietly replied before helping Damen pull Cralle to his feet.

As they all turned to make their way back to the entrance, they immediately noticed that they weren't alone. A bizarre figure was observing them. The stranger was a towering humanoid with three fingers on each hand and an abnormally large cranium. He was also wearing a strange set of shimmering beige armor that was unlike anything they'd ever seen before. It appeared to be organic and almost resembled a streamlined carapace. Nobody present had a clue who or even what the mystery visitor was, he didn't appear to belong to any known space faring species.

"Who-"

Nobody saw the energy pulse coming and Cherish barely had time to ward off the worst of its effects with a biotic sphere. Despite her protection, they were all still floored and nearly everyone was knocked unconscious. After opening his eyes, Jordan realized he was lying face down on the floor. His friends were scattered in all directions and none of them were moving. After lifting his head, he immediately caught a glimpse of the enigmatic intruder as he approached the thruster controls.

"Not on your life, asshole." he whispered before slowly returning to his feet. He was in no condition to fight but he wouldn't let that stop him from confronting the ominous stranger standing before him. Too much was at stake.


	5. Chapter 5 Dangerous Encounter

Chapter 5: Dangerous Encounter

Jordan's first action was instinctive, he unleashed the most powerful biotic slash he could muster. His adversary responded by raising his gauntlets which instantly absorbed the biotic energy from the attack as the potent wave of destruction made contact. The stranger then released the newly stored energy into a massive blast wave that sent Jordan flying across the room. The mystery menace wasn't done and quickly followed up with a barrage of energy blasts that he fired from his strange gauntlets. Jordan promptly rolled and evaded as best as he could while also creating a barrier. After stumbling behind the bodies of the fallen goliath troopers and taking cover, he returned fire with his Will-O-Wisp only to witness his shots bounce harmlessly off of the stranger's unusual kinetic barrier.

"This bastard's tough." Jordan said in between breaths before taking a quick look at his sore and mended legs. "Sorry Cherish, but I have to take him down even if it kills me."

Afterwards, he fired a series of devastating phase disruptors at his foe who once again absorbed the energy using his gauntlets. But before he could release it, Jordan closed in with a biotic charge that shattered the stranger's kinetic barrier. After destroying his enemy's shields, Jordan immediately increased his muscle mass using his focus and let loose another biotic slash that overwhelmed the mystery soldier's odd gauntlets when he attempted to block the attack, causing them to explode. Without hesitation, Jordan continued his assault with a string of sword strikes that culminated in a seemingly lethal downward slash that cut through the mystery man's armor and left a brutal laceration across his chest, revealing a torrent of blue blood and a quick glimpse of what appeared to be a grey exoskeleton. The wound and the temporary exposure were quickly sealed by the stranger's carapace like armor that shimmered more intensely for a moment as it repaired the damage.

"I don't know what the hell you are, but I'm taking you down." Jordan vowed while his legs buckled and bled from the stress he was placing on them.

He tried to make good on his promise with another sword strike but found his blade blocked by a triangular shaped energy shield that his adversary had created from one of his newly stabilized gauntlets. His armor appeared to not only be capable of healing its wearer but also of initiating some form of self repair. While warding off Jordan's attack with his left hand, the stranger sent a punch to the youth's midsection with his right before striking him with the his bizarre energy shield, the force of which sent Jordan sliding backwards several meters and broke a few of his bones. As he laid helpless in the distance, the mystery man quickly fired another barrage of energy blasts that were immediately intercepted by a certain Yahg Annihilator's riot shield.

"Your manners are quite appalling." Garr calmly stated.

He then expanded his riot shield to the size of a small wall and rushed at the mystery soldier at a surprisingly fast pace. The stranger continued to bombard him with shots from his gauntlet but the blasts were simply shrugged off by Garr's enormous shield. Within moments, the Yahg Annihilator had rammed him across the floor with incredible force before promptly following up with several shots from his pistol. The gunfire was unfortunately deflected by the stranger's newly restored kinetic barrier.

"I see." Garr calmly mused before transforming his enormous riot shield into the sleeker form of his omni-glove.

A split second later, he unleashed familiar and potent overload that instantly destroyed the mystery man's shields and apparently inflicted severe damage to the man himself. After stumbling forward, the stranger tapped a control on his right gauntlet, firing a small metallic disc that attached itself to Garr's left shoulder.

"I doubt that's good." he placidly surmised a moment before the disc exploded.

The stranger wasn't taking any chances and fired a concentrated blue beam of energy at the explosion site where it was partially mitigated by Garr's reformed riot shield. Afterwards, the Yahg tech specialist once again rushed him while his shield absorbed repeated blasts from the stranger's right gauntlet. Once he was in range, Garr deployed a defense drone that immediately began dismantling his foe's kinetic barrier with repeated electrical shocks while he attempted to sabotage the man's bizarre gauntlets. His attempt was only half successful, as was evidenced by the fading of the peculiar triangular shaped energy shield that was being emitted from the stranger's left gauntlet. Undeterred, the mystery man responded by firing a cone shaped energy blast with his right gauntlet, finally destroying Garr's riot shield in the process and further wounding him.

"I don't think I like you!" Garr snarled before promptly punching the stranger across his oversized cranium.

He continued to rain blows on him in an uncharacteristically vicious manner before the mystery soldier finally caught both of his incoming punches and took the opportunity to break his arms before casually tossing him across the room. Afterwards, he began tinkering with his right gauntlet yet again while scanning both Jordan and Garr's immobile forms. Once his preparations were complete he prepared to fire another volley of energy blasts but was promptly bombarded by particle fire from several directions.

"This can't be real! That monster just overpowered Jordy and a Yahg!" Damen shouted in outrage while maintaining fire with his Lumina.

"We can congratulate his corpse once we're through." Cralle vindictively added while continuing his own assault.

"JORDY!" Cherish screamed while firing her own weapon. After hearing her voice, the young warrior slowly stirred across the room, instantly relieving her. "Just hold on, I'm coming to get you!"

As if responding to her declaration, the stranger quickly changed targets and fired a series of homing blasts at his newest aggressors. They all quickly scattered and narrowly avoided the brunt of the ensuing explosions. Cherish remained unharmed for the most part thanks to another biotic sphere that she'd erected. She immediately prepared to make her way towards Jordan but found that the enemy was now focused on her.

"Fine, as long you aren't going after Jordy." she whispered.

She then wrapped herself in a biotic aura and bolted towards the stranger who responded by mounting his own advance as a peculiar pair of jets sprang forth from the back of his armor and silently propelled him forward. Before they collided, the mystery antagonist modified his gauntlets again before striking Cherish with both, disrupting her poison strike and dropping her to the floor. As he moved in for the kill, he was suddenly hit with an abnormally powerful warp that began wreaking havoc on his armor.

"You and me aren't through yet!" Jordan roared from across the room. He was swaying slightly but still stumbling forward to meet the stranger who'd already proven that he was more than capable of killing everyone present.

The mystery man took a moment to check the condition of his gauntlets and armor before glancing at Jordan and then the thruster control terminal. Without a moment's delay he fired another silver disc shaped explosive at Jordan and began making his way towards his true goal. Jordan quickly countered by unleashing a biotic slash against the hazard while it was en route, triggering a premature explosion and momentarily stunning the stranger.

"I said we aren't done! Are you gonna face me or what?" Jordan demanded while breathing heavily and slowly staggering closer to his adversary.

The man once again ignored him and continued to make his way to the controls. "Don't you turn your back on me you son of a bitch! Hurry up and finish what you started! Or are you too afraid to face one of the Terminus Hunter's kids!?" Jordan raged.

The stranger promptly stopped after hearing his last provocation. He then turned around and flew towards Jordan at an astonishing speed using his jets. Jordan reacted by sliding beneath him and firing his Will-O-Wisp at the propulsion accessories, triggering a malfunction that sent the mystery man crashing to the floor. He quickly recovered and returned to his feet while reforming his triangular shaped energy shield.

"It's now or never." Jordan muttered while making his way forward to meet the stranger.

The next exchange occurred almost instantaneously. The mystery soldier prepared to unleash another volley of energy blasts from his right gauntlet, Jordan's draw with his Will-O-Wisp proved faster and the string of shots that he fired quickly met their mark, seriously damaging the gauntlet and causing it to once again explode. The stranger recoiled slightly from the blast while his young adversary closed in. He attempted to pummel Jordan with a thrust from his energy shield but the youth sidestepped the maneuver and sank his monomolecular blade into his enemy's midsection, impaling him.

"You lose." Jordan whispered in triumph.

The stranger faltered slightly from the seemingly mortal injury before wrapping his hands around Jordan's neck in an effort to strangle him. His attempt was promptly cut short by a string of headshots that punctured his helmet and filled his enormous cranium with holes causing him to release the teen and stumble backwards slightly.

"Jordy, get away from that damn thing!" Randall roared after decloaking as the shattered remains of the creature's helmet fell to the floor finally revealing its face.

The sight was disturbing and slightly nauseating. The unidentified creature was apparently some sort of bipedal arthropod based on his appearance. His head appeared to be that of a giant crustacean, one that was now full of holes and bleeding quite profusely. As blue blood continued to gush from the creature's head wounds, it suddenly released a bone chilling shriek that echoed across the entire room.

"What is it doing?!" Damen screamed as an agonizing pressure mounted inside his head.

"Shut it up!" Cralle yelled while clutching his temples.

"Is this some kind of telepathy?! No…this is too-ARRRGGHH!" Garr roared.

"I...won't…let you win…" Jordan slowly announced in a resolute tone while facing down the wailing monstrosity. His head felt like it was about to explode as he developed a distinct nosebleed that was growing worse by the second.

The intensity of the monster's mental assault increased in response to his vow, bringing him to his knees and inflicting even more torture to everyone present…almost everyone.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Cherish furiously shouted after sprinting across the room towards the pair.

She immediately tossed the monster with violently powerful biotic throw that sent it flying backwards while momentarily ending its bizarre extrasensory assault. After it hit the floor, Randall sealed it inside of a viciously powerful vortex of destruction using his biotics. Once the maelstrom of carnage had ended, the creature laid dead and after a few moments of silence everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Bad day for you, bastard. Nobody gets in my head. Cerberus and the Reapers couldn't even pull that off with their damned implants." Randall coldly taunted while eyeing the mangled remains of the mystery creature and pointing to the synthetic highlights that ran along his face. "And then some of us are just naturally unique." he mused while observing Cherish as she treated Jordan's injuries.

"What was that thing?" Jordan wearily pondered. "My head…it feels like a Krogan just tried to tear it inside out."

"I know what you mean." Damen agreed after approaching with Cralle and Garr. All three were massaging their skulls and standing slightly off-kilter. "Cherish, how were you able to ignore that thing's assault?"

"I don't know. I didn't even realize what it was doing until I saw how you were all being affected and how badly Jordy was suffering." Cherish anxiously replied while gently wiping the blood from Jordan's nose.

"We can have a Q & A later." Randall brusquely interjected. "Right now we need to get outta here. I just got word from Barney. He and his boys are on their way to secure this base and most of the bastards guarding the place have been put down."

"How'd you pull that off?" Jordan asked weakly.

"With a few dozen headshots and a load of hacked security turrets." Randall casually explained before turning his attention to Garr. "What's his story?"

"He's with us, with me." Jordan sternly replied before glancing up at his new friend. "If that's alright with you. I know you said that you prefer to avoid conflict and joining me and my family might not be the best way to avoid it, especially now. Even so, I'd be proud to have you with me Garr."

"While it's true that I prefer to avoid bloodshed whenever possible, I'm fully aware of what it would mean to be a Terminus Wolf or Fang. Jordan, I'd very much like to join you but wouldn't my admission into your organization cause some tension within the ranks? I am a Yahg after all." Garr earnestly replied.

"Anyone who has a problem with it can take it up with me." Jordan stubbornly insisted.

"And me." Damen added before tilting his head left while facing Garr as a sign of respect.

"I don't think you have too much to worry about, big man. Mal built the Wolves and Fangs using whoever from wherever. If you really want to fit in all you need are the skills and heart. Or so I've heard." Randall gruffly assured him. "Alright kiddies, let's head out. I've still gotta get you back to the base camp and have Fox shoot me a death gaze or two."

"I need to meet with her myself. Actually, we need to convene a meeting with all the senior Fang members and soon." Cralle urgently added.

"I'm guessing we've got a lot more to discuss than that dead crab man." Randall mused while glancing at the mysterious arthropod's corpse.

"You do." Jordan seriously agreed. "Garr, do us a favor and grab that freak's body. Our science guys are gonna need to have a look at him."

* * *

Sometime later, Jordan found himself resting in the medical bay of the Thanatos, flagship of the Terminus Wolves' Grey Fleet. He'd been treated and thoroughly examined by every senior member of the vessel's medical staff due to Fox's insistence and was happy to finally be free of doctors. His condition didn't prevent his irate caretaker from intruding on his rest and time alone with Cherish, in fact after taking note of how much her presence was annoying him, Fox appeared to linger around even longer while discussing the details of what had occurred planet side.

"Our soldiers have obliterated most of the remaining enemy ground forces and we've wiped out the remnants of their fleet. We'll leave a small detachment of ships in the system and a few squadrons of troops on the planet but the rest is up to the Batarians now. We have to get to Heshtok and quickly." Fox explained.

"I wish we could stay and help with the reconstruction but time is running out. I'm worried about my brothers and sister Fox. I know you all think I'm just a kid but I won't turn my back or hide when my family's at stake. I intend to fight my way through that chaos as soon as we get there. Maybe they won't need their baby brother but that won't stop me from coming to their aid." Jordan fervently replied causing Cherish to squeeze his hand from her seat next to his bed.

"Jordy, you're the youngest and nothing will ever change that. In the eyes of all the senior members of the Wolves and the Fangs, you'll always be our baby. But even so, what you accomplished today was nothing short of a miracle, something that only Mal himself could've achieved." Fox gently informed him.

"I didn't accomplish anything." Jordy scoffed. "Garr stopped the asteroids and I got my ass handed to me by some walking crustacean. I'm a joke compared to Dad and my brothers would've beaten that monster senseless without breaking a sweat. Maybe I really am useless."

"That isn't true! You were the one who-"

"Don't waste your breath, Cherish. If he wants to wallow in self-pity, let him. And here I was complimenting you for maturing a little. I suppose it was an err in judgment on my part." Fox coolly interjected before finally getting to her feet and strolling away from her seat opposite Jordan's bed.

"Fox!" Jordan called as she reached the door to his room. "Thanks."

Fox took a moment to observe him before finally releasing a sigh and walking back towards his bed where she embraced him. "If you ever do anything like this again, I won't be as forgiving." she whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek and leaving.

"She may be more stern than Rika but she does grow on you." he joked once she'd left the room. "What's wrong?" he asked after noticing how quiet Cherish had become.

"Lots of things, Jordy. Pirate invasions, SPECTRES running amok, mysterious aliens that can fry people's brains…except for mine." she quietly pondered.

"And Randall's, damn I'm glad we've got that guy on our side." Jordan quipped. "But I'm even happier to have you."

"Jordy, what if there's something wrong with me? It's always lingered in the back of my mind. My friends from the nursery and I…we aren't like the other kids that Mal rescued from Equinox. We weren't infants or children, we were barely developed embryos whose growth had been delayed. It took years for us to fully form before we could be 'born' and raised with everyone else. What if my brain is screwed up or-"

"Are you finished? You're a smart girl Cherish so I find it pretty hard to listen when you decide to sound stupid." Jordan tersely interrupted.

"This isn't a joke!"

"Good, cause I'm not laughing. Dad and Taya, they worked themselves ragged making sure you and the others were healthy and well cared for. Taya even adopted you and raised you like her own daughter. How do you think she'd feel if she heard you doubting yourself like this? Cherish, maybe there is something different about you but that's not necessarily a bad thing. That monster couldn't get inside your head and I'm glad. It just means you're even more special than you already are."

A somewhat awkward silence passed as his words sank in. "Jordy, about what you said down there…"

"I meant it." he instantly confirmed. "Cherish, there's nothing between me and Zel'me. That day you saw us together, I was on my way to meet you. I bumped into her and she started her usual teasing. I'll admit it went a little further than usual but in the end, I told her that I was holding out for someone else. After that, I headed to your place and saw you with-"

"With Matthias." Cherish quietly finished for him. "I was planning to meet you halfway and then I saw you with…I was so upset I ran home and bumped into Matthias. He confessed how he felt, asked me out and I agreed."

"And kissed him." Jordan bitterly added. "Cherish, I'm not like my Dad and brothers. I don't know how to sweet talk girls and I'm obviously terrible at understanding their feelings. I'm also simple, dense, jealous and I suck at expressing how I feel. But I do feel." he tenderly explained. "I love you too and I'm sorry you had to say it first."

"We're off to a messy start, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but it is a start, isn't it?" Jordan joked while squeezing her hand.

"Jordy?"

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me."

After observing the couple through a window outside of Jordan's room, their friends decided to give them some time alone.

"It's about time." Travis quipped.

"This is long overdue. Let's hope Matthias doesn't interfere when we all finally get home." Damen added in approval.

"Humans have strange mating rituals." Garr mused.

"You'll get used to it Garr my man. Stick with us and you're guaranteed to see even weirder things." Travis joked.

"Like an unidentified life form with unparalleled combat abilities." Damen grimly responded.

"Damen, that bastard sounded like seriously bad news. He took on two superhumans, a Yahg and a pair of Batarian badasses and nearly killed all of you."

"I know. If Randall hadn't shown up-We have to get a lot stronger, Travis."

"That was always the plan, right?"

"The pursuit of strength for the benefit of others. It's a notion that's completely foreign to me but I think I like it." Garr stated earnestly.

"Then you'll fit right in." Travis humorously added. "Come on, let's grab some chow. I'm starving. We can bring Jordy back a few cookies once we're done."

"I think he has something sweeter already." Damen slyly added.

"Did you just make your first dirty joke?" Travis asked incredulously. "It was kind of lame but I won't knock your progress." he laughed while tossing an arm over his friend's shoulder and leading the way forward. "Garr, hurry up or I'm eating your dessert!"

The Yahg briefly glanced inside of Jordan's room before turning his attention to Damen and Travis. For the first time in his life, he was actually happy about where his journeys had taken him.

* * *

"Are we sure about the Yahg?" Fox asked in a serious manner while convening a meeting with her colleagues in the ship's conference room.

"I owe him my nephew's life and the lives of everyone on Khar'shan. The least we can do is give him a chance." Cralle sincerely responded.

"The big man helped save the brats and Jordy won't hear a word against him. He's a lot like his old man whether he believes it or not. Mal has a habit of giving people second chances too." Randall cheerfully added.

"I suppose you would know better than anyone." Fox casually mused. "And so would I." she quietly added. "Regardless, I'll have a few of my people keep an eye on him. We can't afford to be careless. I would've never forgiven myself if anything had happened to Jordy. I would've also killed you without hesitation." she plainly stated while eyeing Randall.

"Shadows shouldn't fight each other. Cooperation, remember?" Randall teased. "Besides, Team Teen Drama pulled it off in the end."

"Fox isn't the only one who's harboring a grudge against you right now." Cralle muttered while glaring at him.

"Exactly how drunk am I gonna have to get you two before you let it go?" Randall asked in exasperation.

"Very." Fox humorously replied before growing serious. "More importantly, we have to decide how we're going to mobilize once we reach Heshtok. We also have to warn the triplets about the SPECTRES' involvement and those 'creatures' who may be connected."

"There are no 'maybes' Fox. We know damn well they're connected and who they're working for. Those deep sea mammoths are finally making their move and it's ahead of schedule. Mal and the others haven't finished their project yet. This could be a problem." Randall warned.

"A big problem. If we assume that the creature we fought was merely a foot soldier, imagine how formidable the others are. And there will be others. To assume otherwise would be foolish." Cralle agreed.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the specimen that you battled was no mere grunt. The research division has already begun examining the remains, though I doubt they'll learn much considering what was left." Fox replied with hint of annoyance while glancing at Randall.

"It was him or us. I wasn't taking any chances." Randall firmly stated.

"Despite your overzealous execution methods, their preliminary findings have shed a light on the creature's biology and a few details about its armaments." Fox explained.

"Have they discovered how it almost destroyed our minds?" Cralle irritably inquired.

"I think we can all assume that it's a lesser form of their masters' ability to subvert free will and create thralls, the exception being their focus on a lethal application." Fox surmised.

"You think they managed to snare a few SPECTRES with that brain magic of theirs?" Randall pondered.

"It's not outside the realm of possibility." Fox speculated.

"I don't buy it." Cralle scoffed. "Even if it is true, that would mean that the idiots got themselves captured and for that to happen they would've had to venture into the Terminus Systems. If that is the case, we have to ask ourselves one question. What were they doing there in the first place?"

Silence swept the conference room following Cralle's suspicions. "We can theorize all we want later, right now we have to decide how we'll proceed. If any more of those mystery creatures happens to surface, we'll be at a severe disadvantage." Fox sternly explained.

"Can't argue that. I'm the only ace in the hole we've got to counter them." Randall mused.

"There's also the girl and the others who were born with her." Cralle added.

"No." Fox quickly responded. "We won't, I WON'T subject them to that. They're still children, mere teenagers and they haven't all been trained for combat. Let's not forget that many of the treasures chose to pursue ordinary lives." she fervently added.

"We may not have a choice here, Fox. My implants can't be duplicated and even if they could, they'd just drive whoever had them insane, if they even managed to survive the process. Reaper tech…it's a goddamn curse that's better left dead." Randall cautioned.

"No matter what happens, I'll object to using the children. But ultimately, the decision must rest with Mal. I've already sent word and he's preparing to return with the Ragnarok Fleet while the Aegis Fleet remains with our project in the Obsidian Gulf." Fox explained.

"Sounds good. Meanwhile, the Red and Blue Fleets can stay with Cartagena." Randall thoughtfully added.

"But Mal and the others are still too far away to make it anywhere near Heshtok in time. We're still the closer backup." Fox continued with a note of distress.

"So what's the problem?" Randall asked in confusion.

"We're having trouble contacting the fleets around Heshtok and the triplets. Something could be disrupting our communications." Fox admitted.

"How? Every flagship that Mal had constructed is equipped with Quantum Entanglement Communicators. Even if the comm buoys in the Kyzil System have been destroyed, we should still be able to reach someone." Cralle surmised.

"Not if the flagships have all been destroyed." Randall reminded him. "Or if the comm center was taken out. Neither of those possibilities sounds too likely though. If you want my opinion, the brats are just too busy to answer any calls right now."

"That's precisely what I was thinking and it doesn't ease my concerns. There's also the matter of Wrandok. He's learned about the invasion and in typical 'Wrandok' fashion he's begun organizing his own reinforcements. He contacted me not long ago to let me know that he's 'planning to make a few fools pay for being stupid' and that we'd better hurry if we want to 'get in on the action' before he and his men finish off the enemy." Fox explained in exasperation before releasing a sigh.

"That's…good, right?" Cralle reluctantly offered.

"Not if he learns about possible SPECTRE involvement. We all know where he stands when it comes to the Council and their interfering in Mal's territories. He won't ignore this and for once, I may have to agree with him." Fox confessed.

"You aren't the only one." Cralle stated in an ominous tone.

"I traveled to the ends of the galaxy just to get away from those bastards. When Mal first offered me a job, I didn't honestly think I'd stick around this long and now it looks like some pansy ass politicians might be aiming to ruin my peaceful little existence." Randall quipped. "We're all ready, Fox. Whatever Mal decides." he seriously added.

The three veteran Fang members were all thinking the same thing. Another war was coming and the faces of the enemy were steadily multiplying.


	6. Chapter 6 A Warm Welcome

Chapter 6: A Warm Welcome

"Another year, another wolf that's ready for battle." Zaeed lazily mused while reclining in his seat. "You got any special plans once we get back?" the old mercenary asked his latest protégé after he joined him in the cockpit of their ship.

The mountainous youth was hardly recognizable from his appearance of yesteryear. The time that he'd spent conditioning himself under his Krogan uncle's supervision and the most recent stint that he'd spent with Zaeed fighting in the Attican Traverse had all culminated into forging one of the most lethal and menacing warriors in the galaxy.

"Nothing big, I'm mainly just looking forward to taking a bath and seeing Grace."

Zaeed took a moment to examine the newest fully matured member of the Hunter family who'd soon be joining his older brothers and sister in the Terminus Wolves. The boy had grown a lot since accompanying him but even before he'd left home to undergo the final phase of his training with the elder mercenary, he'd already become a deadly fighter. It was hard to believe that the savage looking youth with a wild mane of tangled hair, a full beard and enough brawn to match his father was the same unassuming brat who used to spend most of his time chasing after his girlfriend and idolizing his older siblings. Raymond Hunter was officially an adult.

"Why not handle both at once?" Zaeed playfully mused.

"Who said that wasn't my plan?" Ray humorously replied before casually taking a seat next to his mentor.

"And who says she'll have you while you're looking like a goddamn barbarian?" Zaeed jested. "Are you at least planning to shave that beard?"

"I'll give it a trim but I've gotten used to having a few bristles now." Ray leisurely responded while stroking his stubble. "Besides, Grace said she liked it."

"She liked the peach fuzz you had around your face a year ago. I think she'll have a thing or two to say about the brush you've got going now." Zaeed joked.

"Trust me old man, my lady loves the wild look." Ray cheerfully assured him before smiling.

"You're just like your big brothers, you know that?"

"I hope you mean Lou and Leon. I don't wanna be compared to Vince right now and we all know that Nate is trash." Ray scornfully replied.

"I can understand giving Nate a hard time but what's your problem with Vinny?" Zaeed pondered.

"He's not the same anymore, Zaeed. The Nemean Enforcer is slowly turning his back on us. Angelica has him wrapped around her finger and he's too blind to see it. That's why Lou and Liv have been picking up the slack these past few years. Leon's been helping them out but he's been busy training the new guys on Cartagena for the most part. To be honest, I'm glad. It's nice having two older brothers I can actually count on but even better to have one who's close by when I need to talk. No offense to Lou, but being Dad's go-to guy keeps him pretty busy." Ray explained.

"You stupid brats…" Zaeed quietly mused. "Take my advice kid, don't take any of them for granted. You never know what could happen, especially these days."

"I don't plan to but I won't pretend that a couple of them aren't pissing me off right now." Ray irritably responded. "Let's just change the subject."

"Fine by me." Zaeed brusquely agreed. "You looking forward to your big eighteenth birthday bash? It's practically a family tradition now."

"I already told Mom and Dad before I left that I didn't want one. A small celebration with family is good enough for me. Plus Dad wasted enough credits throwing a party for Nate and look what it got him. A lazy clown who lounges around a penthouse all day and spends his inheritance on women and booze whenever he isn't goofing off in his 'nightclub.' I swear if that sorry ass slacker has the nerve to show his face-Maybe I'll try to convince everybody to call the whole thing off. I don't really wanna to see that idiot or Vince for that matter. I'm in no mood for a meeting with Angelica either." Ray rambled in agitation. "No party means I don't have to worry about running across anyone other than the siblings who I actually missed." he earnestly added.

"It's your call, kid." Zaeed reminded him. "Nate…I don't know what went wrong there. That smartass was the best shot I ever saw. He never did show me everything he could do either. I've raised enough of you to know that that brat can do more than just pull things with his biotics. Maybe Mal knows something."

"Mom and Dad are too easy on him and it's only making things worse. I guess I should be grateful that he spends all his time in Nos Astra. The last thing Cartagena needs is another wastrel to add to the bunch in the Cobalt District, especially one carrying the name Hunter. Damn it, he's disgracing the whole family." Ray grumbled.

"This is bothering you worse than I thought." Zaeed mused. "It's a good thing we're taking a detour to do a little business on Korlus. We can drop by one of the outposts while we're there and you can blow off some steam. There's always a few criminals and rival mercs to beat up on and right now I think you could use the distraction."

"That's sounds fine to me, old man. I do feel like hitting somebody right now but since the guy I had in mind isn't on hand, I'll just have to make do with a few small fries." Ray eagerly agreed while cracking his knuckles.

"You spent too much time with Wrandok." Zaeed joked as their ship entered the Imir System of the Eagle Nebula.

The moment they arrived, an ambush was unleashed as squadrons of pirate fighters swarmed their position.

"What the hell is this?!" Ray shouted in frustration while taking control of the ship's weapons.

"You got me, kid! But there's too many to fight with this thing! Keep those bastards off us while I take us into Korlus!" Zaeed angrily barked.

"What about all the gun batteries dotting the surface?! If you don't manage to take us in close enough to one of our turfs, we'll get blown outta the sky before we can even come in for a landing!" Ray reminded him before opening fire on the enemy ships with a barrage of disruptor torpedoes as they closed in.

"You think I don't know that?! Don't forget who's been showing you the ropes for the last year!" Zaeed snapped while accelerating their ship towards the planet.

While several enemy ships exploded behind them, Zaeed made a beeline for Korlus and was immediately pursued by a contingent of pirates who weren't eager to let him and his protégé escape. As they entered the smog filled atmosphere of the planet's surface, the old mercenary swerved and accelerated their craft towards the coordinates of a Termninus Wolves outpost that was located near one of the massive gun batteries that protected Korlus' airspace. The pirate fighters that were chasing them struggled to keep up and after being soundly left behind while their quarry descended into the safety of their organization's military installation, the entire detachment was promptly bombarded and destroyed by the gun battery that was under the control of the Terminus Wolves.

"Serves those bastards right." Zaeed scoffed after parking his ship in the outpost's landing area. "Get your gear ready, kid. Something's wrong." he cautioned his young ward before getting to his feet and readying his own weapons.

"I've got a feeling we missed a few things while we were gone." Ray mused before grabbing a Revenant and the battle hammer that he'd finally earned from his Uncle Wrandok a year earlier.

As the pair departed their ship, they were immediately alerted to the sounds of gunfire and growling inside of the outpost. Before they could fully comprehend what was happening, a squadron of Blue Suns appeared while retreating from the building. They were all wounded and it quickly became apparent why when one unfortunate turian in their ranks was suddenly mauled by a pair of massive varren. His cohorts didn't have time to react before being systematically mowed down by a hail of gunfire as Zaeed and Ray let loose their firearms. After the final Blue Suns trooper fell, they immediately reloaded their thermal clips and prepared themselves for another fight as the sounds of battle within the outpost continued. As they both cautiously rushed forward to enter the base, the chaotic noise started to ebb until finally there was nothing further to be heard beyond a few whimpers and finally a single gunshot that ended it. Both men immediately slipped inside the installation and discovered a somewhat disturbing scene. The interior of the outpost was littered with bodies, most of whom belonged to the Blue Suns but there were a disturbing amount of deceased Terminus Fang soldiers as well.

"What the hell is going on?" Ray muttered while observing the corpses of the fallen Fangs.

"It's about time you made your way down." a familiar and whimsical voice playfully chastised.

Both Ray and Zaeed promptly took note of the source as a familiar asari strolled forward from the main entrance of the outpost while several surviving Fangs accompanied her, including a Krogan who was being flanked on each side by a pair of varren.

"Zel'me? What are you doing here?" Ray asked in confusion.

"Wishing I were with Jordy right now." she replied in a slightly sullen manner while pouting. "And helping keep this place from falling to the Blue Suns and pirates." she casually added.

"So they finally got bold enough to actually pick a fight with us? I warned Mal about those pricks. So are we at war or what?" Zaeed gruffly inquired.

"Oh, we're at war alright but not with the Blue Suns. Not yet anyway. But I imagine that once the senior members of the Fangs and Wolves discover what they've done, we'll be openly slaughtering them before long." Zel'me pleasantly responded.

"We definitely missed a lot." Ray stated in exasperation. "Zel'me, do me a favor and fill us in."

His playful cousin was quick to comply with his request and spent the next few minutes explaining the situation regarding the pirates, their invasion attempt of Hestok, the current campaign that was being waged on Khar'shan and how she'd ended up in one of their Korlus outposts.

"…so I decided to chase after Jordy once I discovered what he'd done. But I ended up sneaking aboard the wrong ship and ended up here. It wasn't so bad at first but once I realized I was trapped, I got a little angry." Zel'me explained.

"What do you mean 'trapped' and how are the Blue Suns involved in this mess?" Ray prodded.

"I'm sure you noticed on your way here how many pirate fighters are lying in ambush. They've been targeting every Fang and Wolf vessel that's entered the system. The shuttle I snuck aboard was no exception and it's pretty much been scrapped now, another dead ship to add to the Korlus graveyard. They're obviously trying to prevent us from regrouping with the others in the Kyzil System and to make matters worse, they've hired the Blue Suns to keep us pinned inside our bases and to soften us up while they try to finish us off with aerial strikes. It's not very cute and I'm starting to get annoyed." Zel'me continued in frustration.

"The cannons can keep 'em off us but…I get it." Zaeed mused.

"So do I." Ray concurred. "Our cannons have been keeping the pirates at bay but the Blue Suns are keeping you guys from leaving with their gun batteries. Am I right?"

"So you actually grew a few brain cells in addition to all that muscle. I'm actually impressed." Zel'me teased causing Ray to scowl slightly. "Yes, the Blue Suns are actively preventing our departure attempts by targeting any ships that we send into Korlus' airspace. The only reason you weren't blasted on your way down is because of the pirate tailgaters who were chasing you. You're welcome by the way. I figured you'd appreciate having them removed."

"I'll thank you once we're off this planet and on our way to Heshtok." Ray responded coolly. "Bastards…they've probably paid the Blue Suns extra to take our guns offline so they can get their fighters down here to bomb our installations. It's no wonder they've been hitting this place so aggressively."

"That was my assumption too. The past few days really have been exhausting and I'm afraid most of the soldiers stationed here have already met their ends. They did put up a valiant effort though, especially those Vorcha, the poor things." Zel'me lamented while glancing at the bodies of the several dead Vorcha Fangs. "On the bright side, Jarax and his varren have been a huge help in defending this place." she brightly added while motioning to one of her Krogan companions who was surrounded by his beasts of war.

"We're just doing what Mal ordered us to. Protecting the guns." the Krogan replied dully.

"No need for modesty, Jarax. You and the others have been exceedingly useful. I daresay your combat abilities might be on par with the Wolves. You should all consider requesting promotions once this business is all settled." Zel'me urged.

"I'll vouch for you." Ray added while surveying the enormity of the enemy bodies that were decorating the base and appreciating the work that must've gone into putting them there. "And if you want, you can join my crew once we get back. I'll need a good one and anyone who follows me will have to be tough enough to survive the worst and fierce enough to spill at least twice the blood they lose. I think you guys qualify."

Jarax exchanged a brief glance with his colleagues before responding. "We'll think about it."

"You do that and let me know what you decide. Right now, I think it's time I paid the Blue Suns a little visit. We can't afford to have their gun battery harassing us once we finally leave."

"Even if we take it out, those pirates waiting in space still outnumber us." Zaeed reminded him.

"I wouldn't worry about them." Zel'me cheerfully stated. "This isn't our only base on the planet, remember? And there are plenty of Fangs who are eager to engage our attackers and pay them back for all of the indignities that we've had to suffer. I can send word and have our own fighters ready to deploy the moment the Blue Suns' gun batteries are offline."

"Sounds like a plan." Ray agreed. "But before anything else, can one of you point me in the direction of the armory? I could really use a decent set of armor and some better guns. Zaeed had me using a bunch of antiquated crap for a year and I'm eager to get my hands on a particle weapon."

"Smartass brat, in my day all a man needed was his Avenger and-"

"You can bore me with another story about you and Jessie later." Ray humorously interrupted. "So where can I get suited up?" he added after turning to Jarax.

"There's a few things stashed in the basement. Not sure if we've got any armor that'll fit a superhuman though, especially one your size. You're definitely one of Mal's boys." Jarax mused while observing Ray.

Ray responded by smiling before making his way to the lower level of the outpost to update his equipment. After having his identity verified by the security grid protecting the small supply room that rested on the bottom floor, he quickly made his way inside and began searching for suitable upgrades. To his delight, he was able to locate a set of Terminus Hound Armor that actually fit him and immediately tore off the components of the Ariake Technologies gear that he had on. After equipping his new armor he performed another scan of the area and located an armament that happened to be one of his favorites among the particle series. A machine gun called the Meteor that was similar to a Revenant but slightly lighter and possessing an alternate fire mode that allowed the release of an explosive shot of particle energy at the cost of instantly overheating the weapon. It was a useful gun to have if you knew how to use it. Once he was fully outfitted, Ray turned to leave and was surprised to discover Zel'me standing in the doorway of the supply room while eyeing him.

"How long have you been there?" he demanded.

"Long enough to get a good show." Zel'me responded in a playful manner. "You're as big as Lou now. I wonder if you're as strong too?" she mused.

"You really don't have any scruples, do you?"

"I don't really understand the problem. I've seen you and your brothers naked plenty of times over the years, ever since you were babies in fact."

"All for amusement?"

"Of course."

"With you around, I'd better keep an eye on Jordy once we all get back home. Damn, I hope he's okay. Sneaking off to Khar'shan, but I guess that's just like him. He and Damen have been tight since they were toddlers. At least I know he's growing up to be a better man than some of the other garbage in this family." Ray fondly stated while thinking of his younger brother.

"So you're still upset with Vince and disgusted with Nate. I suppose I can't blame you considering what's happened over the years and what's occurring right now." Zel'me sympathized. "If it makes you feel any better, neither of them were going to be at your birthday party."

"What?"

"Your party, silly. Your brothers and sisters were planning to throw a little celebration once you all returned. Obviously it's out of the question now with everyone being caught up in these troublesome battles. Lou had all the details planned out though. He knows how bitter you are towards Vince and Angelica right now and how angry you are with Nate, so he asked them not to come in order to preserve the joy of your get-together. It was going to be a small family affair just like you wanted-just us, mom, dad, and grandpa. Oh, and Grace of course." Zel'me cheerfully explained.

"Lou…even though you're always trying to play the peacemaker, you were actually willing to put my selfishness ahead of their feelings. Thanks big bro." Ray thoughtfully remarked. "I'm surprised he was able to convince Mom and Dad to go along with something like that."

"Mal has been trusting Lou with a lot lately. He and Liv have become his top advisers. It won't be long before they-"

"Before they're leading all of us." Ray finished for her. "We all saw it coming ever since their seventeenth birthdays. They've both put in the most work, command the most influence and have the most support when it comes to the other superhumans, Fangs and the Vorcha. Leon's always preferred following Lou's lead and Nate is a lazy bastard. Layla and Sasha are happy to just pull strings and I guess me and Jordy never really stood a chance."

" _You_ have grandpa's support and I had no idea you actually harbored aspirations that involved taking over someday." Zel'me curiously responded while staring at him. "You haven't let him get in your head, have you?"

"No. He can push as hard as he wants but in the end, I'll decide what I want to do." Ray assured her. "And I've already made my choice. I'll help my favorite big brothers and sister in any way I can. I don't have a problem following Lou's lead and if Leon needs me, I'll be there. But once we all finish this war and get back, I'll start helping Liv with the patrols around our borders. She was doing way too much fighting on her own before I left and that has to change. Void Slayer or not, she's still my sister and using battles as a way to get over…the point is she needs me right now, probably more than anyone else." he earnestly explained.

"Grace has been a good influence on you, I think." Zel'me responded warmly before walking over and reaching up to run a hand across his beard. "You really should shave this once we're through." she humorously suggested.

"Zaeed said the same thing." Ray casually responded. "I'll think about it." he added before leading the way out of the armory. He had work to do.


	7. Chapter 7 Crackin' A Few Skulls

Chapter 7: Crackin' A Few Skulls

"Damn it, where are those heavies?!" a panicked Blue Suns Commander barked as his subordinates struggled to take down a trio of intruders who were tearing through their base's defenses.

Two of the invaders were well known within the Blue Suns' ranks. Zaeed Massani was a founding member of their organization after all, even if that was a fact that few people outside of senior Blue Suns commanders were aware of. Raymond Hunter was another one of the Terminus Hunter's children. But their information on him was sorely lacking and every enemy merc who was engaging him at the moment was seriously regretting the lack of intel.

"Disruptor Rounds! Use Disruptor Ammo and concentrate on the Hunter!" the commander shouted while focusing his own shots on the hulking youth who was casually killing his way further into their stronghold.

"They're really starting to annoy me, Zaeed." Ray grumbled as a hail of gunfire made contact with his barrier and tech armor.

"They've been pissing me off for decades." Zaeed sympathized while using his protégé as a walking cover position as he picked off the elevated hostiles who were attempting to snipe them from catwalks positioned above the area.

"And they've been angering me ever since I arrived here." Zel'me added before promptly killing an advancing squad of troopers with a cluster grenade.

"Good, then there won't be any complaints." Ray calmly stated in a dangerous tone before directing a massive shockwave at a pair of enemy pyros who were attempting to halt his advance.

Their shields were quickly destroyed and Ray immediately killed both with a barrage from his Meteor before taking aim at the trio of centurions who were protecting the Blue Suns Commander. After disintegrating them with a concentrated salvo from his weapon, he quickly took notice of the heavies that were converging at the top of the steps that led into the heart of the compound.

"It's about time you fools got here! Hurry up and take aim at that giant in tech armor! We have to bring his defenses down, NOW!" the commander frantically ordered.

His men were quick to comply but not quite fast enough as the commander soon discovered when an explosive particle blast suddenly vaporized one of his newly arrived heavies before the man could even fire a shot.

"I'm tired of playing around with you bastards and I think it's about time I paid you back for all of those dead Fangs you left behind." Ray shouted while increasing his muscle mass with his focus and pulling out his battle hammer.

Afterwards, he bolted towards the remaining heavies and the Blue Suns Commander at an astonishing speed while dodging missile fire and shrugging off disruptor shots before finally closing in and brutally annihilating what remained of the enemy ranks with a few swings of his biotically charged hammer. As the body of his final heavy fell at his feet, the Blue Suns Commander found himself face to face with Ray who wasn't in a forgiving mood.

"You think you've won, punk? This isn't over by a long shot. You'll see."

"Yeah, I will. But you won't." Ray coldly declared before bringing his hammer down on the commander's head and crushing it. "Mouthy piece of-Better hurry things up just to be safe." he muttered afterwards.

"You and that goddamn hammer." Zaeed grumbled after joining him. "Well, at least I weaned you off those shotguns. Too bad you just replaced them with machine guns. A little precision wouldn't kill you, kid."

"I was actually impressed with how accurate his shots were considering what he was using and the distance between him and his targets. These training rituals with you are obviously more beneficial than I thought." Zel'me mused after approaching the pair.

"Nobody spends time with Zaeed without learning a thing or two about aiming." Ray casually stated while putting his weapons away. "Anyway, we should hurry. We need to take their gun battery offline and hold this position while our guys head to space. I'm pretty sure we don't have much time before reinforcements show up to retake this base, so let's get to work."

Without a moment's delay, the trio proceeded through the doors at the top of the steps where they were standing and into the large operations room where the controls for the enemy gun battery were located. Ray and Zaeed both took up defensive positions near the door once they were inside while Zel'me deactivated the base's guns and began contacting the Terminus Fangs who were stationed at outposts that were scattered across the planet. After several minutes of work, she finally completed her task and appeared to be quite pleased with herself.

"I think everything is in place now. Our soldiers have been informed of the situation and the fighter squadrons are all being prepped for departure as we speak. The pirates patrolling the system are about to meet a very nasty surprise." she pleasantly informed her companions.

"Good, now see what you can do about sabotaging this thing and keeping it offline long enough so that we can head back and fly out ourselves without having to worry about being blasted to ashes. I wish we could just destroy it but we don't have the time or the ordinance necessary to complete a demolition job that big with the way things are at the moment." Ray responded frankly.

"It's a shame too. I wouldn't mind permanently taking this thing away from those morons." Zaeed lamented.

"I know what you mean. This whole thing stinks, Zaeed. Korlus is one of the biggest areas where we have Fangs stationed and somebody went through a lot of trouble to make sure they stayed grounded. Everybody who wasn't deployed to help with Khar'shan is probably busy protecting Cartagena and our Illium Operations. Then there's Omega…I don't like this. If the Blue Suns got ballsy enough to pull something out here, imagine what they'd try back there. And it's not like Aria would intervene, especially if it's not hindering her operations. I'm gonna have to start reaching out to our other bases and the dens once we hit space." Ray mused.

"That's a good idea. I have a feeling that the opportunists who've been waiting in the shadows all these years are finally making their move. Someone has provided them all with a very convenient opening." Zel'me surmised.

"Speaking of opportunists." Zaeed scoffed while peering outside the door of the control room.

Back on the ground level of the installation, a small army of Blue Suns reinforcements were already approaching and being led by a senior member of their organization's leadership. "Grady's little kiss-ass finally decided to come out and personally get his hands dirty."

"I can't believe this. Walsh, that bootlicking little coward. Well, this confirms it. There's no way that this was all some little side deal that the local Suns cut with the pirates. The whole damn company is in on it. Dad's gonna have a lot of cleaning to do once he gets back and Grady won't be talking his way out of this one." Ray angrily continued while eyeing the new arrivals. "Worthless scumbags…Zaeed cover me!" he suddenly raged while pulling out his hammer.

He then deployed his tech armor and created another barrier while rushing down the steps towards his surprised quarry of centurions and legionnaires. After toppling one of each with a shockwave, he quickly killed the floored enemy soldiers with a swing of his hammer while Zaeed took out a trio of pyros who were attempting to surround him with a string of precision shots that ruptured the fuel tanks on their flamethrowers causing them to explode.

"I gotta say, I wasn't expecting to find one of Hunter's boys down here or that old prick, Zaeed. We might have to renegotiate our fee after we kill you both." Walsh remarked in a cocky manner while hiding behind a pair of his commanders. "I don't know which one you are but as long as you aren't the Beast or that Slayer bitch, I think we'll be alright. Actually, it's kind of a shame. For all the talk about how crazy she is, that sister of yours is one hot piece of-"

Witnessing two more of his legionnaires being pummeled into a heap by a biotically charged hammer quickly cut the man's taunt short. "You're a fucking dead man, Walsh. Believe that." Ray coldly vowed while expanding his muscles.

"You think so, brat? Maybe I would be in trouble if I happened to be taking you on alone. But our client just so happened to be in the area and decided that he wanted to lend a hand himself." Walsh casually responded.

"You think some wannabe pirate big shot is gonna stop me from ripping you apart?!" Ray raged as his barrier intensified.

"No, but a SPECTRE damn sure will." Walsh leisurely countered before signaling his men to scatter as a stinger missile from a shoulder mounted Hawk Missile Launcher suddenly converged on their position and collided with Ray's barrier and tech armor.

Immediately following the explosion, the Blue Suns mercenaries opened fire on the smoking point of impact. Ray was unharmed for the most part but his barrier had been destroyed and his tech armor was barely intact. He was also struggling to stand and the endless gunfire that he was enduring at the moment wasn't helping. Before the storm of disruptor ammo could breach his defenses, a well aimed concussive shot that had its own disruptor properties promptly floored the opposition and destroyed their shields. They were then burned alive by a pair of expertly tossed inferno grenades.

"Kid, I'll deal with these idiots! You keep your eye on that goddamn SPECTRE!" Zaeed barked while carefully descending the stairs and maintaining fire on the remaining Blue Suns.

"I owe you one, old man." Ray groaned after returning to his feet. He then set his sights on a stranger near the entrance of the base who was wearing the latest model of the Alliance's heavy assault battlesuits. "An N7 Destroyer. Bring it." he snarled before erecting another barrier and rushing towards his prey.

"That punk is outta his mind if he thinks he's taking down a SPECTRE, especially one who was handpicked by the legend himself." Walsh derisively remarked while taking cover behind a stack of supply crates as his subordinates did the work of fighting Zaeed.

"You shouldn't be worrying about the kid right now, he'll be fine. You on the other hand, well it won't be long before the rest of those bastards follow you. You greedy SOBs really did it this time. Making deals with SPECTRES and pirates but worst of all, picking a fight with my protégé. There's a reason he's running the show right now. I can't wait till he gets back so we can start paying our dues." Zaeed said threateningly before executing a centurion with a headshot.

"You don't scare me, geezer. You're a pathetic relic, a washed up has-been and you always were. We all know it and everybody who came before us knew it. You killed Vido Santiago, so what? What did it change? We're all still here, still making credits and still laughing at your sorry, decrepit, old ass. You're a fucking joke and not even a funny one. Sometimes we tell stories about you to the new recruits as a warning of what could happen to them if they aren't careful. How does it feel living as some broken down old nursemaid while the real top dogs of the Terminus Systems fight it out?" Walsh scornfully taunted as Zaeed continued to dismantle his entourage.

"It feels pretty damn good, actually." Zaeed calmly responded after pulling out a knife and slitting the throat of an enemy trooper who'd attempted to waylay him during his descent down the stairs. "One of those 'top dogs' you mentioned? I taught him and now he's ruling half the places where you worthless little shits like to scurry around struggling to nab table scraps. He's got no real competition outside of Aria and you bastards all know it. Isn't that why you're pulling this pitiful stunt? You can't challenge him outright so you're jumping in on the free-for-all. You idiots have done some pretty stupid things before but this time, this time there won't be any turning back." he warned after finally reaching the bottom of the steps.

He then tossed an inferno grenade at the remaining legionnaires and centurions who were flanking Walsh's position before dropping them in rapid succession with several bursts of disruptor rounds from his old Vindicator. When he stopped to reload his thermal clip, Walsh's commanders quickly left their cover positions by their leader and opened fire. Zaeed responded by diving sideways behind a tower of aged and rusted engine parts before whipping around the other side and executing one of the commanders with a carnage blast. As the awestruck Batarian fell his Turian counterpart was quickly bombarded by another burst of disruptor rounds as Zaeed rushed him. Once the old merc was in range, the commander attempted to target him with his Claymore but was promptly disarmed and shot in the head with an old Carnifex hand cannon. Zaeed then made his way to Walsh who quickly spun around from his own cover position to catch his foe by surprise.

"Learn your place old timer." he scoffed before opening fire with a new model Spider heavy pistol that tore Zaeed's shields apart and wounded him.

"Just another undisciplined bastard." Zaeed irritably responded afterwards before giving Walsh a surprise of his own by extending an omni-bayonet from the end of his Vindicator and stabbing him in the face. "Those damn Krogan will never let me hear the end of this if they ever find out." he grumbled before pulling out his Carnifex and firing a few shots into Walsh's head for good measure.

Meanwhile, Ray found himself fighting the most difficult battle he'd waged in his life thus far. The mystery SPECTRE was no pushover and proving to live up to his title. He was wielding a Striker Assault Rifle to devastating effect using his suit's increased targeting assistance and ample ammo reserves to maintain a deadly and consistent barrage of explosive slugs that were slowly decimating Ray's defenses.

"I'm gettin' sick of this!" he raged before charging his hammer with electricity and tossing it at his adversary who was too slow to respond.

The hammer met its mark and not only damaged the Destroyer's armor but also caused him to drop his weapon as he attempted to mitigate the onslaught of malfunctions in his suit. After noticing his opponent bolting towards him, the mystery SPECTRE fired a volley of multi-frag grenades from his right gauntlet that Ray quickly intercepted with a shockwave that sent the hazards flying backwards at their source. As his own explosives rained down on him, the Destroyer's plight was further complicated when a concentrated particle shot from a Meteor machine gun was promptly added to the chaos. The ensuing detonations didn't deter Ray from continuing his advance. He knew better than to think that the fight would be over that easily. His assumption was quickly proven accurate when the N7 stranger slowly emerged from the dust cloud that had engulfed him as his battered armor sparked slightly due to the harm it had sustained and the Foucault Currents that were now reinforcing it. Despite his condition, the Destroyer casually flexed his right hand gauntlet before extending an omni-blade from his left and calmly making his way towards Ray.

"So it's like that, huh?" Ray mused before summoning his battle hammer back to his hand using his biotics. "Fine by me."

He then created another barrier and began making his own advance. As the two closed in on each other, the SPECTRE once again attempted to fire his gauntlet, only this time it was crushed before he could get a shot off as Ray brought down another electrified hammer strike that completely shattered the armament and his foe's hand along with it. While the stranger was still reeling, he took another swing that obliterated his adversary's shoulder cannon and maimed the joint it was attached to. Before Ray could cause any further damage, the SPECTRE purged the currents in his armor and sent the charges to his omni-blade before lunging at his opposition only to have the knife, gauntlet and hand that they were connected to break after meeting the enemy's barrier, tech armor and a reinforced wall of muscle.

"Was that it? Then I guess it's my turn." Ray coolly stated before charging his hammer with his biotics and making a vicious swing that collided with his opponent's chest and sent him skidding across the floor. After rolling into a heap and finally coming to a stop, the SPECTRE'S body laid motionless in the middle of the base. "Another shitty SPECTRE killed by a Hunter. I guess I'll be a wanted man too. Well, like father, like son." he proudly declared before putting his hammer away and making his way towards his dead adversary. He quickly kicked the man's body over and ignored the brutal and gaping indentation that his hammer had left on the stranger's chest before removing his helmet. He took a moment to examine the man's face before finally just shrugging as a small trail of blood ran down from the deceased agent's nose. He had no idea who the guy was and didn't really care. All that mattered to him was that the dead man was a SPECTRE who'd collaborated with pirates in an attempt to harm his family's organization and he wouldn't forget it.

"Damn, he really is one of Shepard's overachieving little saints. Or he played the part of one, anyway." Zaeed gruffly remarked after joining him a few moments later. "Read an article about him awhile back. He helped repel a pirate raid on Virmire not too long ago. I think his name was Miles Brennan. Honor student born on Intai'sei, joined the Alliance as soon as he turned eighteen, got Shepard's attention when he-"

"Save the history lesson, Zaeed. This piece of shit just tried to kill us and now you're telling me he's one of Old Man Shepard's lackeys? That double-dealing, double-crossing-"

"I doubt Shepard knows about this. But I guess a couple of decades running the whole damned Alliance Navy have made him sloppy if he's letting lowlifes like this slip through the cracks." Zaeed calmly surmised.

Both men continued to eye the dead man before eventually being joined by a certain asari companion who appeared to be thoroughly impressed with their latest body count. "Your very first SPECTRE kill, Mal will certainly be proud." Zel'me whimsically commented before playfully jumping onto Ray's back.

"And it won't be my last." Ray responded in an ominous tone. "Is everything set?"

"I believe so. I've completely trashed the gun battery controls and I seriously doubt that anyone could salvage them without dedicating at least three days to debugging and repair work." Zel'me cheerfully informed him.

"Good, then let's get ready to go. My brothers and sister are waiting for me and so is Grace." Ray announced. After he and Zaeed made their way to the entrance, Ray quickly turned back and grabbed the body of the dead SPECTRE by his neck before unceremoniously dragging him back to the entryway.

"Souvenir?" Zel'me mused while clinging to his back.

"Proof." Ray corrected her. "Old Man Shepard won't be bullshitting his way out of this one and neither will the Council."

Somebody, somewhere had provoked the wrong Hunter.


	8. Chapter 8 The Tiger and the Dragon

Chapter 8: The Tiger and the Dragon

" _Sorry for calling you on such short notice, Julian."_

" _It's alright, Mal. I wasn't busy and even if I had been, I'd never hesitate to make time for a meeting with you."_

" _You're all way too devoted to me, you know that?"_

" _We can't help it. We owe you everything and even though you haven't formally adopted the rest of us, you're still our father."_

" _Am I? These days, I just don't know anymore."_

" _Mal, what's going on? You seem more troubled than usual and I doubt the reasons are restricted to our recent struggles with pirates."_

" _Julian…a father can't play favorites. He can't take sides when his children are squabbling. And sometimes, no matter how much he may want to, he can't stop his pups from hurting themselves or each other."_

" _I understand. This is about Olivia and her unrequited feelings for Vincent."_

" _You always were sharp, just like your sword. Does anyone else know?"_

" _I doubt it. With the exception of Dylan and Rabbit, I don't think anyone else realizes why our princess has been feeling so down lately. Most are attributing her recent and more reckless escapades to a desire to impress you and gain your approval."_

" _They wouldn't be that far off the mark. I'm worried about my Firebrand, Julian. She's pushing herself too hard and with the recent risks she's been taking…I hate to ask this, but I could really use your help."_

" _I'm always willing to help you if I'm able but I can't imagine what use I could possibly be in this situation."_

" _Julian, you're a good kid-Disciplined, humble, vigilant and wiser than most. Time hasn't changed you but that isn't the case for some of the others. They've gotten cocky and rash, I'm actually glad that most are pursuing civilian careers. It spares me from a lot of future headaches. You on the other hand, you're the same modest little baby that I picked up from that Equinox lab all those years ago. You probably can't remember but you were the first one I met. After I killed the scumbag who created you, your tank was the first one I placed a hand on. At the time my mind was racing and the full gravity of what Equinox had done was finally starting to sink in. If Virgo, Leo and Libra hadn't been with me…well, now I'm just rambling. Maybe I'm starting to get old."_

" _Mal, I'm no better than any of the others. I'm simply more withdrawn. There are many who'd argue that as a failing."_

" _Even now, that modesty still manages to shine through. There's a reason the others don't look down on you despite that quiet demeanor of yours. Julian, you're one of the strongest cubs in my arsenal and probably the only one who can spar with Lou on even ground. And right now, I need you. Actually, my Firebrand needs you."_

" _Are you asking me to act as her bodyguard or a voice of reason?"_

" _Both but officially I want you to join her crew. And before you interrupt, yes, I know what I'm asking. Under normal circumstances, this would be a proverbial death sentence. Liv's girls can be ruthless and so far they've been pretty damn picky about choosing the guys who join their outfit but I'm pretty sure they won't argue against having you. An offer from the Crimson Tiger can't be easily ignored."_

" _I didn't ask for that ridiculous moniker and I'll be quite happy when it finally dies. More importantly, are you sure you want to entrust me with this task? Wouldn't Rabbit be a more suitable candidate?"_

" _Rabbit is devoted and he's a good kid too but Liv needs someone around who's going to give her the truth whether she wants to hear it or not. Someone who won't spoon feed her meaningless platitudes and someone who'll be there to support her if the weight of it all threatens to crush her. That temper of hers and her power, they've both gone a long way towards driving people off. Right now Lou's the only one who bothers standing up to her more crazy ideas and he can't always be there. You're a patient guy Julian, patient and persistent. There's no one else in the galaxy I can trust with this. I realize I'm asking you a lot and that you have your own life to lead but…I can't be there for her right now and even if I could, I wouldn't be any help."_

" _My life is indeed my own but I decided long ago to dedicate it to the Wolves. Olivia also happens to be a dear friend and one of the precious few that I possess. To be honest, I was hoping to join Lucas in his ventures. He and I share similar dispositions and we've always made an effective team. But ultimately, I won't complain as long as I'm free to follow one of the triplets, one of my friends. And I must admit, I do find myself worrying about Olivia myself. Her attempts at getting over that crush have proven to be disturbingly self-destructive. But I'm still at a loss as to why you'd choose me of all people to act as her safeguard."_

" _It's simple. You grew up with them. You've seen them all at their best and worst. You've trained with them, gone to school with them, but more importantly, I trust you and so does Liv. You may be one of Lou and Leon's buddies but Liv also considers you a friend. Looking back on it, I would've done well to take you in too. You've damn sure helped me more than you should have these past few years, in fact my own children are the only ones who've done more."_

" _I simply did what I could where I could. I'm only one man Mal, one among many who seeks to aid you and repay the kindness that you showed us."_

" _Yeah and I appreciate it. Even though I told every single one of you dumbasses time and time again that you were free to go wherever you wanted and do whatever you wanted."_

" _And we all unanimously chose to help the Terminus Wolves, each in our own way. Alright Mal, I'll join Olivia and keep her safe. I promise to protect her from everything that might cause her harm including herself. I swear on my honor as a warrior and disciple of the best masters that any apprentice could ever hope to have. This is my vow to you."_

" _For the love of-You've been spending a little too much time with Leo. Your word would've been good enough for me, geez. But thanks, I mean that."_

" _Hmm…now that I think about it, this position in Olivia's crew will undoubtedly draw the ire of many. Her friends are quite popular and Olivia is a beautiful woman herself. I foresee having to deal with many jealous admirers in the future and also-Mal? Why are you laughing?"_

* * *

The sounds of explosions promptly awoke the young man who'd just spent the precious few hours of peace that he and his friends had recently acquired by catching up on the rest that he'd forfeited several days earlier in order to battle yet another pirate incursion into Heshtok's capital of Hatash. The carefully concealed underground barracks where they were all holding up was still being rocked by the occasional reverberations resulting from the extreme bouts of fighting that were taking place above ground in the middle of the city.

"I should prepare myself. The Vorcha infantry may end up needing assistance and knowing Olivia, she's already on the move." he quietly remarked before swiftly gathering his combat gear from the chest located at the base of his bunk. After equipping the final component of his Hellhound Armor and grabbing his monomolecular blade and Lumina Assault Rifle, he immediately departed his room and set out to locate his troublesome leader.

Julian Steele was one of the dozens of children that the Terminus Hunter had rescued from Equinox many years earlier. He also held the distinct honor of being the first tank born infant that Mal ever held in his arms following his birth and of being the only one that he'd personally named together with his wife. Tess had given him his first name but it was Mal who'd chosen his last and it had actually met his skeptical wife's approval.

" _Steele because even back when you were in diapers, I knew you'd be unbreakable."_

"I couldn't tell if you were being serious or just indulging in your usual jokes but I'm still grateful." Julian quietly mused while walking the halls of the bunker.

After reaching an intersection at the end of the corridor he was traversing, he almost bumped into a familiar Vorcha who was happy to greet him in spite of his obvious rush. "Tiger, you finally awake? Sleep good, I hope. Lots of fighting coming."

"I slept well enough, Thorn. And please, just call me Julian. I hate that nickname." Julian replied in exasperation.

"But you tiger. You have to be. You follow Dragon Girl and she crazy." Thorn replied in confusion while releasing what Julian could only assume was a shudder.

"I can assure you, Olivia isn't insane. She's just a little over exuberant." Julian explained.

"If you say so. Gotta go now. Big Chief Junior talking with scary girls from Cartagena. He might have orders for me." Thorn replied before proceeding past while Julian joined him.

"Lucas has finally made contact with the twins? That's a relief. I was starting to grow concerned about the station's possible status."

"Station safe, safer than anywhere as long as the scary girls are around."

"I suppose that's true." Julian agreed while suppressing a laugh.

They both continued on their way before eventually reaching a small communication room at the end of the hallway where they were promptly greeted by the surprisingly furious shouts of Lucas Hunter.

"HE WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TWO STOP HIM?!"

"Because we were preoccupied tracking down the saboteur who was attempting to destroy our comm station. You aren't the only ones who've been fighting."

Lucas took a moment to calm himself and quietly greet the newcomers who'd just arrived before turning his attention back to his younger sisters' holo-forms. "Layla, sorry. But this is all starting to wear me out. The pirates aren't easing up and then there's Liv. Between her devil-may-care attitude and the psychotic stunts that she keeps pulling…I'm tired and at some point I won't be able to stop her. She doesn't even bother concealing the fact that she's being a hypocrite. She chews me out for leading patrols into the most chaotic areas of the city but then turns around and does even worse herself without any backup. Julian's the only person from her crew who's planet side right now and he's been busy helping me and Thorn fight deranged Krogan for the last two days straight."

"When was the last time you slept?" Sasha sternly asked. "And I mean actually slept. Not what you and Rain get around to doing whenever you're alone."

Julian decided to clear his throat before the conversation could take any further awkward turns in his presence. "I think you should heed your sister's concern. I only recently got a few hours of rest myself and I doubt you've had the luxury at all. You won't be of use to anyone if you allow your condition to deteriorate any further. I'll look after Olivia and make sure she doesn't do anything too rash. I'll also do what I can to assist the counteroffensives in the more dangerous fronts. Lucas, go get some sleep."

"You heard him. We can give the rest of our info to Julian and he can relay it to you later. Now get to bed _without_ Rain and make sure you _sleep_." Layla ordered.

"I can still-"

"Lou!" his sisters shouted simultaneously.

"Alright, but I want you to fill me in as soon as possible later." he commanded after turning to face Julian. "And thanks, buddy." he added appreciatively before leaving with Thorn.

"We have to end this soon. Lou is strong, stronger than anyone but even he has limits." Layla anxiously stated.

"Livy's starting to buckle too. She was already a mess to begin with." Sasha added in concern. "Always trying to put up a brave face…"

"I'll take care of her no matter what happens." Julian promised.

The twins took a moment to observe him before grinning. "As big as Lou and just as powerful, cute face, quiet, reserved, always watching everyone from the background, never seeking the spotlight yourself and so damned introverted. If you weren't so annoyingly shy, this whole situation could've been avoided." Layla humorously chastised.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing, just ignore Layla. She's being a brat." Sasha sighed after elbowing her twin. "I do have a quick question though. Why didn't you ever visit more when we were all kids? You skipped all the sleepovers and parties, avoided the trips to the arcades and movies. Be honest, do we offend you that much?"

"No! I've never felt anything but welcome in your home just like everyone else. I'm simply not a sociable person by nature. The only time I'm ever at ease is when I'm training, sparring or fighting a battle. I'm sorry if my awkward behavior gave you the wrong idea and I'll gladly make it up to you-"

"Who's being the brat now?" Layla interrupted while playfully shoving her sister.

"I couldn't help it. He's so easy to tease and when he's flustered, I just want to eat him up. Livy and Angelica really do attract all the best ones." Sasha lamented while eyeing Julian in a slightly suggestive manner.

"Actually, Julian was handpicked by Dad." Layla reminded her.

"He always did get Livy the best toys." Sasha humorously responded.

"Oooh, don't let Rabbit hear you say that!" Layla joked causing both girls to laugh.

"I think I'll be on my way." Julian suddenly announced before turning to leave.

"Juli, don't be like that. We were just having some fun." Sasha pleaded while pouting cutely at him.

"Julian, we're sorry." Layla apologized sincerely. "We haven't had many opportunities to joke around lately. It seems like we spend all our time worrying about you guys and now Jordy's added to our anxieties by running off to Khar'shan with his friends. Once he and Cherish get back we're going to have a few words for them both."

"Jordan left for Khar'shan? So that's what Lucas was so upset about. He probably wanted to help Damen. He's a good kid and a superb swordsman. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of him fighting Yahg but I know he'll be fine." Julian replied earnestly.

"That's high praise coming from the Crimson Tiger, the best swordsman in the Nemean Abyss and one of the strongest new generation Terminus Wolves." Sasha teased. "Juli, when I turn eighteen will you-"

"Stop it." Layla sternly cut in. "Julian, do us a favor and keep an eye on Livy. Everyone thinks she's some kind of raging, unstoppable dragon. All they see is the Void Slayer, daughter of the Terminus Hunter, leader of the Amazons and all this other lofty garbage that the galaxy branded her. She is powerful and dangerous but she's also hurting. Please don't let our sister destroy herself over a broken heart."

"Mal made a similar request of me some time ago but I imagine you already knew that. I've said it before, I won't allow any harm to befall her. She's an amazing woman and deserves to find happiness. I'll do whatever I can to help." Julian assured her.

"Juli, we've spent years honing our skills to become the best intelligence operatives, saboteurs and assassins that will ever wear the Terminus Wolf symbol. We can see through lies and deception. We can manipulate anyone we want and weave webs that would even make the Shadow Broker's head spin. So believe me when I say that we trust you and Livy does too even if she won't admit it." Sasha earnestly stated.

"I'm relieved to hear that. So tell me, how are you two doing? And don't bother trying to brush me off with flattery or your usual tricks."

"To be honest, we're pretty exhausted ourselves." Sasha admitted. "Somebody actually managed to sneak into Cartagena and wreak havoc with our communications. Luckily we managed to stop them and prevent any permanent damage to our Quantum Entanglement Network but we're still fixing glitches and trying to restore contact with the flagships. There's no telling how much confusion this little mishap caused with the soldiers who might've been trying to contact the station or the fleets near Heshtok. Grey Fleet will have definitely tried to establish communication by now in order to get a status update."

"How could anyone have breached Cartagena Station's defenses? The saboteur must've been a hacker of unparalleled skill." Julian surmised.

"Well, he was a Salarian, so that was pretty much a given." Layla informed him.

"Salarian?"

"And a member of Eclipse from what we could gather." Sasha added. "One of their best operatives. Apparently Eclipse has decided to help the pirates from the shadows. We learned a bit more from our Salarian friend before one of Uncle Wrandok's people…made a mess. Krogan really don't have any tact when it comes to these situations."

"This is troubling news. Have you been able to reach any of our agents since restoring communications? Or the dens and bases stationed elsewhere?"

"Not yet and we're starting to get concerned. Rabbit was handling something especially dangerous and we'd really like to hear from him soon." Layla replied with a hint of unease.

"He wasn't alone, was he?"

"No, Na-I mean naysayers would claim he couldn't manage an operation like this alone but the truth is, he could. But he had help anyway, Ghost Fang." Sasha quickly recovered after almost divulging a very well kept secret.

"That mystery man who no one seems to know. I have my own concerns about him, but Mal knows his identity and trusts him, so I suppose I will as well. Given his stature, he's most likely a superhuman but who…" Julian pondered.

"You're so cute when you're being inquisitive but you shouldn't worry. We happen to trust him too." Sasha stated reassuringly.

"Which reminds me, be sure to tell Lou about this later and give him a message from us. Tell him that Ghost Fang doesn't know that he knows. He'll understand what we mean." Layla slyly requested.

"So Lucas has knowledge of who this mystery man is as well and I'd wager you two also have an insight." Julian speculated. "Very well, I'll give him the message and I won't pry." he agreed.

"Juli, we wish we could tell you more but-"

"It's fine, Sasha. I'm sure there are good reasons why Ghost Fang's true identity must be kept a carefully guarded secret. And also why Lucas would want the fact that he knows kept hidden. This is obviously a matter that's better left between family…and certainly none of my business." he quietly interjected.

"Someday Juli, that's my promise to you." Sasha fervently vowed while staring back at him resolutely. After a few moments of silence, a mischievous smile quickly appeared on her face. "When the day comes, I'll give you something else too. Something I've been saving-"

"Enough." Layla once again interrupted before rolling her eyes. "Julian, be careful out there. Our brothers and sister aren't the only ones we've been worrying about."

"You don't have to concern yourselves with me. It was mentioned before but worth restating, I don't deserve any attention. My relevance in the grand scheme of things is inconsequential. I've always done whatever I could to help Mal and the Wolves but in the end, I'm just one tiny thread in a larger tapestry. Should my life come to an end, the more vibrant fibers will remain and become even more brilliant. Olivia will live on and so will the rest of you. My place is in the background, where it always has been, watching everyone alone and waiting for the chance to help when I can." Julian humbly explained.

"Juli, sometimes I really hate this part of you." Sasha angrily responded with tears in her eyes.

"Julian, when you finally decide to embrace and acknowledge your true status, let me know. Until then, I won't approve of either of my sisters courting a tiger." Layla added frankly before promptly disappearing with her sister.

"As if this tiger was worthy of such blessings." Julian quietly said to himself before slowly exiting the communication room.

He decided to head for Lucas' barracks to make sure that he'd followed his sisters' advice and gone to bed. He was relieved to discover that the young mercenary leader was sound asleep in his girlfriend's arms when he arrived to check on him. As he stood outside the doorway to the room, Rain quickly noticed him and sent a hastily composed message to his omni-tool.

" _Please close the door and make sure we aren't disturbed."_

Julian promptly obliged before continuing on his way. "I'm fairly certain she'll allow him to get a reasonable amount of rest." he humorously mused. "Now to find Olivia. With any luck, she won't have gotten herself into any serious-"

"Julian!"

The young warrior barely had time to finish his thought when Grace came bolting towards him after he turned a corner. "Let me guess, Olivia has embarked on another suicide mission." he surmised while shaking his head in exasperation.

"I'm afraid it's more serious than usual." Grace replied in between breaths. "Less than hour ago we received word from an infantry patrol near the seventh district of Rulash. They reported a raid on one of our hidden munitions depots in the area."

"I thought we'd emptied that cache during the last sweep. There were heavy weapons in that stockpile. _Dangerous_ heavy weapons." Julian replied in an uneasy tone. "Oh no. Grace, who's leading the raid?"

"Krogan and they've got a small army of Blitz mechs reinforcing their assault. Liv went to stop them, to prevent the weapons from falling into enemy hands but-She'll be outnumbered, Julian! The Vorcha who contacted us were already down to their last men. What should we-Lou! I have to get Lou!" Grace frantically rambled before attempting to run past him.

Julian calmly stopped her by gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lucas is resting right now and we shouldn't disturb him. He's been through enough as it is and there will be more to come before long. I'll help Olivia and see to it that she doesn't get herself killed. I'll maintain a comm line with you in the meantime. I'll bring her home, Grace."

"I-I should go with you. I know how capable you are but we shouldn't take any chances."

"There's no need. Remain here and be prepared to send a squadron to secure and transport the remaining munitions once we've cleared the area." Julian ordered. "And Grace, try not to worry."

"Julian, be careful."

"Caution doesn't often play a role in my fighting style but I appreciate your concern." he politely responded before quickly setting off.

* * *

"Come on! Is that all you've got! And you call yourselves Krogan!" Olivia roared after imploding a massive dark sphere and killing a sizeable detachment of pirates in the process.

Her rather heated battle was taking place in the much maligned seventh district of Rulash, more affectionately referred to as Rulash Seven by the locals. Before the invasion it served as the seediest of the Rulash pleasure quarters as well as a safe haven and hideout for the more sleazy of Hatash's populace. The invasion had simply made the region even more volatile as criminals, soldiers and pirates fought a three-way struggle to lay claim to the area which was ripe with abandoned tenements and utility tunnels that could serve as the perfect means of hiding and discreetly transporting troops and supplies. The one bright side was the fact that every Vorcha, regardless of their affiliation was more than happy to shoot any invader who dared to intrude into the district. It was a lesson that the pirates had to learn the hard way after their initial incursion and their first failed attempt to sack the capital.

"Why can't any of you dull it at least a little?!" she raged while creating an annihilation field around her body and blasting a trio of Blitz mechs who were attempting to surround her.

The explosion instantly obliterated the mechs and slightly unnerved the scattered remnants of Krogan aggressors. Eventually they all decided to rush her in the hopes that at least one of them would succeed in subduing her. The four stampeding giants did little to dissuade Olivia who simply killed them all with a colossal biotic flare that tore half the street where they were fighting apart.

"I guess it'll never stop hurting and I'll never measure up." she sadly whispered as an enemy drop ship began descending on her location. "Good, this is the way it should be, the way I'd prefer it."

As the ship began dropping more mechs and Krogan to join the fray, Olivia began executing several of each with a rapid string of frenzied but accurate shots using her Spark Surge heavy pistol. Her assault was promptly cut short when a newly deployed Gaia mech fired a rocket that almost killed her after exploding a few meters away and sending her crashing into an alley. "The other pain still hurts worse." she coughed as a trail of blood rand down her face.

As she laid there waiting for death, a small sky cycle suddenly zoomed past the alley while its rider opened fire on the enemy drop ship with a Hyperion heavy weapon. The craft promptly exploded and the rider quickly swerved his cycle around and began speeding towards the Gaia Mech. After closing in on the large war machine, he leapt off before his vehicle collided with the mech with only moments to spare. He ignored the ensuing explosion and bolted towards the damaged machine before it or its pilot could recover while unsheathing his monomolecular blade. The Gaia attempted to sideswipe him with its claw arm but the young man simply ducked before severing the mech's cannon arm with an astoundingly powerful biotic slash. Afterwards, he charged his sword with biotic energy and piercing the cockpit of the machine with a thrust that impaled the pilot and took the dangerous nuisance out of commission for good.

Without any delay, the warrior then withdrew his blade and began slicing through the myriad of Blitz mechs that were converging on his position. After cutting down the final three with an electric slash, he found himself on the receiving end of a barrage of carnage blasts from the irate Krogan who were rushing towards him. The swordsman responded by creating a biotic sphere to protect himself before pulling out his Lumina and returning fire at the advancing menaces. After disintegrating two of the raging giants, he quickly put his weapons away and wrapped himself in a lethal biotic aura before closing in to meet the rest head on. Once he was in range he carved through the remaining brutes with a flurry of poison strikes before creating an annihilation field around himself and decimating what remained of the opposition. He then took one final scan of the battlefield before banishing his field and making his way to the alley where his reckless leader was still lying injured.

"You really are a tiger, aren't you?" Olivia joked before groaning.

"Now is not the time." Julian sternly warned her before beginning treatment of her injuries. Once he was done he helped her to her feet. "What's the status of the munitions?"

"They're safe for the time being but the tenement they were stashed in is a pile of rubble now." Olivia casually answered before dusting herself off.

"Well at least the pirates didn't get to them." Julian calmly stated before suddenly fixing her with the most serious gaze she'd ever seen. "You've gone too far, too many times. How much longer are you planning to keep this up?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said. You nearly got yourself killed and you don't even care, do you?"

"I don't need a lecture, Julian. You're not my father."

"You're right, I'm not and I pity him."

"What did you say?!"

"I said I pity him. Mal has an amazingly talented daughter. She's beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed, powerful and capable of great things. But right now she's acting like a spoiled, thoughtless, inconsiderate child."

"Fuck you!" Olivia spat before throwing a punch that Julian quickly blocked.

"Do you have any regard for the feelings of those around you? Your parents? Your siblings? Your friends? How do you think any of them would feel if you were to suddenly die? How do you think the Amazons would feel or the rest of the Terminus Wolves and the Fangs? How do you think I'd feel?"

"Just leave me alone, Julian." Olivia seethed. "You talk about feelings like you actually have any. We can't all be apathetic loners who bury ourselves in training. I feel, damn it! I'm hurting and the pain won't stop!"

"Maybe it would lessen a little if you allowed the people who care about you to help."

"Oh, you mean like you? You wanna fix me up so you can run home and tell my father what a good boy you've been? Go to hell! You're just like all the rest!" she raged.

"While it is true that I promised Mal I'd assist and protect you, I'm not still standing here because of that pledge. I've had to watch for far too long as you teetered on the edge of suicide. I've stepped in when I could but you've taken every opportunity to throw yourself at oblivion whenever Lucas and I weren't looking. Olivia, this has to stop."

"I'm not your problem, Julian. I'm just some head case that Dad forced you to babysit. Once we leave Heshtok, you can be free of me. You can officially leave the Amazons and forget you ever had to put up with my bullshit. How's that sound? You can go right back to being a lone warrior, the Crimson Tiger, a man with no heart but plenty to say on the matter of dealing with heartache!" she exploded before storming off.

What happened next completely stunned her. The energy wave from a monstrously powerful biotic slash store across the alley and missed her by mere centimeters as it blasted past.

"I can't say I ever got to know Vincent very well. On the few occasions I met him, he seemed like the amiable sort and a decent person. But regardless of how wonderful he is or how great you _think_ he is, he isn't worth this. No man is worth eroding yourself to this extent. As I said before, I've watched you walk this self-destructive path for far too long and I'm tired of it. Your suicidal tantrums end here." Julian calmly announced while pointing his word at Olivia.

"Are you serious? You wanna fight me?"

"No, I want to teach an out of control little girl how to properly deal with her emotions and humble her in the process."

"You…YOU…YOU!"

Olivia was furious beyond words and immediately increased her muscle mass with her focus as her eyes glowed and her biotics flared, creating a tremor in the alley. Julian responded by sheathing his sword and taking a defensive stance while readying his fists.

"You should've kept the sword out, you're gonna be needing it real soon. And you'd better bulk up now why you've still got the chance." Olivia angrily shouted.

"There's no need. I won't bother drawing my blade in order to deal with a selfish child's outburst. And my muscles can remain as they are. I'm fully aware of your abilities and you can say the same about me. I also know that Lucas is the only one who's ever beaten you and that fact doesn't bother me. So hurry up and make your move." Julian placidly stated while inviting her to attack.

The look of pure, unmitigated rage that Olivia gave him at that moment would have been enough to unnerve any sane sentient being. That fact alone seemed to imply that Julian was either crazy, had a death wish or was perhaps even more insightful than even Mal had anticipated. Whatever his reasons, he'd officially provoked one of the most dangerous women in the galaxy and she wasn't planning to hold back.


	9. Chapter 9 Letting Go

Chapter 9: Letting Go

"Fight back, damn it!" Olivia raged after throwing another powerful punch that Julian narrowly dodged. After evading the blow he quickly used the momentum from her swing to toss the furious young woman onto her back.

"Are you finished yet?" he calmly chided while standing over her.

He ignored the storm of furious obscenities that erupted from her mouth afterwards and the next wave of frenzied attacks that she unleashed after shooting back to her feet. The small alley where their confrontation was taking place had been thoroughly destroyed by Olivia's livid attempts to pummel her subordinate who'd managed to avoid every reckless maneuver. After taking a moment to marvel at the holes and collapsed walls that were now decorating the area, he couldn't help but be impressed.

"It's no wonder you're so feared. This is quite the display. I can only imagine how formidable you are when you're truly focused and not throwing one of your tantrums." he placidly mused.

"Shut up and fight me!" she roared while closing in with a right hook.

He once again dodged the attack but this time retaliated after sidestepping behind her and directing a precision palm strike to the base of her skull rendering her unconscious. He immediately caught her after she fell and lifted her into his arms.

"Mal, you put up with this far longer than me. How patient does that make you?" he pondered before releasing a sigh and carrying her off.

* * *

" _I'm sorry Liv but I just don't have those kinds of feelings for you. You're like a sister to me, you always have been."_

" _And you love Angelica."_

" _Yeah, I do. I don't want to hurt you but-"_

" _Just forget it. That's how you feel and I can't change it. I'm a big girl, I can take a hit and still keep moving. Goodbye Vince."_

" _Liv, wait!"_

 _Pain, disappointment, and a frantic desire to be anywhere else at that moment all culminated into a mad dash in the opposite direction of the man she'd admired since she was a little girl. But the abrupt departure would only bring her face to face with the very last person she wanted to see at that point time._

" _Liv…"_

* * *

Olivia Hunter had grown quite accustomed to waking up in infirmaries and medical bays in recent years, so her presence inside a familiar one as she slowly roused from her dreaming didn't come as a surprise.

"Ow." she groggily whispered while rubbing the back of her head after sitting up in her hospital bed.

"I tried to be as accurate as possible in targeting the pressure point without causing any unnecessary stress. I'm sorry if there happens to be any lingering soreness but you left me with little choice in holding back and an even smaller margin for error." Julian graciously apologized while standing at her bedside.

"Like I said before, you really are a tiger." Olivia responded before groaning as she got to her feet. "I guess now you can brag to everyone about how you put me in my place." she scoffed.

"As far as anyone else is concerned, you were injured during the battle that you just rushed into. I've already assured Lucas and the others that you weren't seriously hurt and convinced them that they should allow you your rest." Julian explained.

Olivia simply stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "I really don't get you."

"You aren't alone in that regard. No one 'gets me' with the exception of your brother and Mal." Julian calmly responded. "Now, are you ready to have a proper conversation? I can't promise that I'll have any worthwhile advice but I can at least listen."

After a few moments, she finally nodded and Julian led the way outside of the infirmary and down the hall to a small makeshift breakroom. After entering, Olivia quietly took a seat at the half-assed attempt at a table that had no doubt been hastily thrown together by a few Vorcha soldiers during their downtime. The metal board that was resting on top of a stack of storage containers still had visible blood stains on it, the telltale signs of a fight, celebration or leisure activity-when it came to the Vorcha, no one was ever really sure. Once she was reasonably comfortable on the cargo container that was serving as her chair, she slowly spread her arms across the table before bringing her head down to rest on them as Julian busied himself with the arduous task of preparing refreshments. The former occupants of the room had left quite a mess. A few minutes later, a familiar and oddly welcoming aroma began permeating the room.

"Is that hot cocoa?"

"Yes, I was hoping we still had some tea remaining but sadly it seems we've run out. I'm not a fan of coffee myself but if you'd prefer-"

"Cocoa is fine. It reminds of me of home and Dad." Olivia replied warmly. "Lou loves the stuff too. That's probably from his stash." she joked.

"It sounds like he hasn't changed much since our days as children." Julian pleasantly stated after joining her at the table and setting two mugs of hot cocoa on the surface.

"You make it sound like you haven't seen him at all since then. Actually, I guess you haven't. None of us heard from you for years until you suddenly showed up to join my crew. What were you doing all this time?"

"Honing my skills, dealing with pirates, piloting my Raven into the darkest reaches of the Nemean Abyss in order to hunt down and eradicate the remaining remnants of the Blades of Khar'shan and handling a few other tasks for Mal that I'd rather not mention." Julian calmly explained before taking a sip of his cocoa.

"He always has someone else, doesn't he? A hand that no one else knows about. Even though Lou and I have taken the reigns, he still won't let us help him carry everything." Olivia lamented.

"In time, he will." Julian assured her.

"What about that secret project of his? The one he spent two decades building somewhere in the Obsidian Gulf? I know it has something to do with fighting the Leviathans, he could at least tell us what it is."

"I'm sure he'll divulge the details when the time comes. For now, we'll simply have to remain patient."

"You're unbelievable, you know that? Exactly how devoted are you to my Dad?"

"As devoted as anyone else. Does that fact unnerve you?"

"Not really. You always were one of his golden kids among the orphans. You, Rabbit, Vince…"

"Olivia-"

"So why didn't you hang out with us more when we were younger? I barely ever saw you when you weren't training with Lou or practicing making spheres with Leon. What gives?"

"Your sisters made a similar inquiry earlier. I'll tell you what I told them. I'm simply not the sociable sort and most people find me off-putting."

"Tell that to my crew. All of my girls are completely gaga over you, especially Sonia. It was like that back when we were kids too. You just never noticed because you were too busy trying to become the perfect warrior." Olivia joked before sipping her own cocoa.

"I could easily make similar claims about you. But in your case, you were simply too preoccupied with other distractions to take notice of much else." Julian calmly countered.

"Maybe…but they were all like friends and brothers to me. Vince was the only one who was different, special. Dad may have adopted him but he never felt like 'family' per se."

"Then what was he?"

"A hot guy that Dad and Virgo decided to raise." Olivia casually clarified before sipping more of her cocoa.

"Your distinctions are quite puzzling."

"Yeah, I know. I don't make any sense. Stan, Dylan, Rabbit and practically everyone else, they're all like brothers to me. But Vince was more than that, he always was."

"I suppose you can't be faulted for how you feel." Julian conceded. "Though, I can't help but be curious about where I stand in your bizarre categorizations."

"You're a stranger." Olivia replied bluntly.

"Considering how absent I've been, I guess that is a fair label."

"You didn't let me finish. You're an old friend who feels like a stranger now that you're an adult. Even though so many things about you have remained the same, I can't ignore the fact that you've changed since we were all kids. You're obviously stronger but it's more than that. You're…I don't know, more mature?"

"Perhaps but it's not like I could make such a claim myself. As I mentioned before, I've had little interaction with anyone these past few years. My disposition, work and reputation have all contributed to putting distance between me and everyone outside of my comfort zone. As you might expect, that includes a great deal of people, including most of our peers." Julian explained.

"Now that you mention it, how exactly did you become known as the Crimson Tiger?" Olivia curiously inquired after setting her cup down.

"That story is rather embarrassing."

"It can't be any worse than mine. Come on, tell me. Pretty please?" Olivia playfully pleaded while pouting a little.

"Fine, but I'd appreciate it if this remained between us." Julian finally conceded. "A little over a year ago, I found myself on Illium during the height of a certain hairstyle trend. I was on my way to visit Adriana to discuss work and a personal matter. I had been away from civilized space for quite some time and my appearance wasn't exactly suitable for a woman of her standing, so I decided to stop by a hair salon in order to get a trim and a shave."

"Oh Julian…you didn't. Those places aren't for guys like you." Olivia quickly sympathized.

"I realized that the moment I stepped in." Julian continued before releasing a sigh. "Despite how busy they were, one of the asari stylists was eager to squeeze me in and I found myself unable to refuse her generosity or her over exuberant suggestions. After an hour of washing, rinsing, drying, trimming, straightening and all manner of other rituals that only served to baffle me, I was presented with a mirror and a smile. Stripes. She'd given me stripes. Red stripes were running through the length of my hair. It was quite mortifying."

"I-I'm really sorry, Julian." Olivia earnestly offered while struggling to suppress a laugh as she imagined her friend with red highlights. He was a pretty big guy and just as athletic as Lucas. He was also serious to a somewhat excessive degree. The thought of him sporting such a ridiculous look was almost too much to bear.

"I didn't have the heart to tell her how much I hated it and everyone else in the salon was getting something similar, even the asari customers were getting their scalp crests altered into different shades. In the end, I paid her and went on my way. And despite the stripes, everything else was impeccable. She had done a fairly decent job." he confessed.

"I can't believe you actually went walking out in public like that. I mean, _you_ of all people." Olivia stated in astonishment before chuckling.

"I didn't consider it a laughing matter at the time and I still don't." Julian sternly responded before continuing. "Anyway, I eventually made my way to Adriana's office at Lupine Industries' main HQ. I was nervous, more nervous than I'd ever been in my entire life. Luckily, she wasn't appalled, in fact, she seemed to like it. We ended up having a pleasant conversation afterwards and I even managed to work up the nerve to ask her out to lunch."

"Julian, I-I had no idea. You and…well, what did she say?"

"She said my offer was sweet and that I was one of the few true gentlemen of my generation but that she'd have to decline. She went on to explain that I simply wasn't her type but she'd 'keep an eye on me' just in case that ever changed."

"She didn't!" Olivia fumed.

"The situation became a bit more awkward when your younger brother showed up to escort her out. I suppose Nathan is more her-"

"That fucking-No, to hell with both of them! You don't need her and those two deserve each other! What is she thinking getting mixed up with Nate?! I thought Adriana was smarter than that!" she raged.

"I appreciate the sentiment Olivia but I've long since let it go but I won't deny the fact that it still hurts. The truth is, I cared about her for a long time. But she was older and for awhile she was in a relationship with Dylan. I didn't want to intrude or complicate things back then so I kept my feelings to myself. After they went their separate ways and the opportunity finally presented itself, I decided to seize the moment so to speak. I knew full well what the risks were as well as my chances. She is one of our goddesses after all."

"Don't even get me started on that garbage." Olivia seethed. "Those idiots have been letting that nonsense go to their heads for years now and the rest of you aren't helping by perpetuating it with your goddamn drooling and shameless adoration."

"You might be right and you can say what you will about everyone else's affections but my feelings happened to be genuine and reserved exclusively for Adriana, no one else." Julian sincerely explained causing them both to grow quiet.

"Julian, I'm sorry. For that and for everything else. When I said all that awful crap to you back in Rulash…why didn't you stop me?"

"Because you needed to vent and because you weren't exactly wrong. Not long after that embarrassing scene with Adriana, I ended up getting involved in a large scale battle that I could've easily avoided. I decided to use a fight as a means of dealing with my heartache and all it left me with was a hollow feeling and a distasteful nickname that I can't seem to shake. It turns out if you slaughter a few dozen CAT6 wastrels while donning red stripes, people can get pretty creative when it comes to handing out labels. Though it did make burying my emotions and isolating myself a lot easier." Julian somberly explained.

"I guess I really am a thoughtless, inconsiderate child." Olivia lamented. "You and I have pretty similar stories, complete with annoying siblings showing up at the wrong time."

"I don't want to pry, Olivia. I may have shared something that was fairly personal to me but that doesn't mean you have to return the gesture. We can discuss something else if you want."

"No, it's fine. And it's not half as complicated as it seems. I loved Vince but he loves my sister. I confessed my feelings, he turned me down and she saw the whole thing. See? Simple." Olivia casually recounted.

"Is it?" Julian wisely inquired.

"No." Olivia admitted while absentmindedly twirling a finger in her cocoa. "Our relationship has been weird for awhile now even before that mess happened. What it really boils down to is the fact that we're just terrible at being sisters. We both want what the other one has and it's always been that way."

"I find that a little confusing."

"Angelica grew up on the other side of the galaxy surrounded by Shepards. She's got that Brawler guy for a stepdad, three little brothers and her Alliance hero mother. Not to mention the almighty legend himself, Admiral Shepard for a grandfather. She's the undisputed all-star of their entire family but that still isn't enough for her, it's never been enough."

"I think I'm beginning to understand. She wanted Mal or more specifically, a greater share of his attention. I can relate to her. That seems to be a common desire when it comes to all of us. With everything that he's responsible for maintaining, his time has always been limited."

"Not for us. Dad was always there whenever we needed him. When I was a little girl and I had nightmares, I could always sneak into my parents' room and crawl into bed with them. Most of the time, one of my brothers or sisters would already be there and sometimes we'd all be packed in along with Razor, Kiki and Igor. Mom used to go ballistic whenever the varren snuck in with us." Olivia humorously explained.

"It sounds nice. Those of us who resided in the school's dormitories could only dream of meeting Mal in person. His visits were always a cause for celebration and as we got older, the competition for catching his eye only grew more intense. Everyone wanted to receive personal instruction from the Terminus Hunter. We all knew that Lucas was his pupil on top of being his son and that motivated us even harder. There had to be a chance, no matter how small, that he'd notice at least one of us and provide an opportunity to study under him. I remember those days well." Julian reminisced.

"Well, your assumptions ended up being right. And Dad wasn't the only one whose attention you caught." Olivia teased.

"Yes, I was luckier than most. I still am. I was able to learn from the best and now I get to fight alongside the best as well. Helping the friends that I went so long without seeing…"

"Why didn't you join Lou? I mean, right after we all turned eighteen. He was looking for capable soldiers and you two have always been good friends. It just seems strange." Olivia pondered.

"While I do consider Lucas to be a good friend and perhaps a closer one than he considers me, I won't delude myself into believing that there aren't others who have stronger bonds with him. You and I both know that Leon is his best friend and more importantly his brother. They're practically twins. Actually, I suppose in a way, they really are given the circumstances of your births. Anyway, I didn't want to intrude on their fun and once Rain and Keiko joined their ranks-I figured it would be best to wait awhile before offering to accompany them. Truthfully speaking, I've always worked better alone anyway. Your brothers are among the few who I synergize well with and you of course, when you aren't being a reckless lunatic."

"Funny, real funny." Olivia replied wryly. "I guess I should be grateful that Dad sent you to me."

"All he could think about at the time was protecting his precious Firebrand and I couldn't help but agree."

A thoughtful silence passed as Julian continued to drink his cocoa while Olivia played with hers. "You know, I didn't mean any of that stuff I said earlier. You don't have to leave-"

"I wasn't planning to." Julian plainly interjected.

"Good, that's good." Olivia responded in an offhand manner before finally taking another sip of her own drink. "Besides, I can get a real kick out of parading you around Sasha once we get home. She's got a little thing for you."

"I noticed. I'll be sure to let her down gently."

"Don't bother. You're probably just the new flavor of the week. She's into older guys, maybe it just runs in the family. Her preferences definitely keep our brothers busy handing out beatings." Olivia joked.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Julian?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For you know…everything."

"Olivia, I won't ever claim to be a wise man or an expert on matters regarding the heart but one thing I'll always be is a friend. Whenever you need to talk, just let me know. If you want to hit something, then let me know. And if you want to cry, then let know. I'll be here." Julian vowed.

"From now on I will, I promise." she assured him. "I guess I should try to get some sleep now before Lou starts hounding me." she added before standing and making her way to the door. "Julian, even if you are a tiger to everyone else, you'll always just be Julian to me."

"And you'll never be the Void Slayer or a Dragon to me. You're simply Olivia Hunter, my captain and my friend." Julian responded warmly.

"I'd prefer it if I were Liv." she joked. "But I know how weird and serious you are when it comes to using nicknames-"

"I'll see you in a few hours, Liv." Julian cut in while staring back at her intently.

She responded by smiling before turning to leave. Julian spent the next few minutes finishing his cocoa before eventually being joined by another guest who casually entered the room and took a seat across from him.

"Mal really does have good instincts." Rain stated while grinning at him.

"Meaning?" Julian asked in confusion.

"Nothing, nothing at all." she replied in a cavalier manner. "You know, I'm pretty good at doing hair myself. If you ever get the urge to-"

The mild clunk of an empty mug falling from its owner's hand and hitting a makeshift metal table promptly interrupted her.

"Y-You heard-Were you actually eavesdropping on us?!" Julian demanded indignantly.

"Not intentionally. I came to make Lou some hot cocoa and heard the two of you talking and well, okay maybe a little."

"Unbelievable! Unacceptable! Unconscionable!"

"Julian?"

"What?!"

"Welcome to our gang." Rain teased before proceeding to stand and make her way to the pot of hot cocoa in the back of the room.

Her words did little to quell his fury but were successful in making a small part of him happy, even though he'd never admit it.


	10. Chapter 10 Happy and Oblivious

Chapter 10: Happy and Oblivious

"Almost, almost-Damn it!"

"Nice try. You nearly had me for a minute there."

"Don't mock me, Vince. It just adds salt to the wound."

Vince took a moment to laugh at the look of annoyance that his girlfriend's younger brother was giving him. They had just completed another bout of arm wrestling and young Keith Hawkins was still quite perturbed with his losing streak. The duo were enjoying another peaceful and sunny day while relaxing at a small patio table in the backyard of the Hawkins family home in London.

"I'm actually impressed. I know you can't be judged by ordinary standards but Keith is almost as strong as Darryl." Allie pleasantly remarked while watering a small flowerbed nearby.

"Trust me Mom, if you met some of the other kids from Cartagena you'd redefine your definition of 'ordinary' really fast." Angelica joked while observing the pair from her own seat at the table. "According to Vince, he isn't even in the top three of the Hunter family when it comes to physical strength."

"Or the top ten in general when it comes to superhumans. Man, I could introduce you guys to a few juggernauts who'd make your heads spin." Vince humorously added.

"You can't be serious! My arm is practically going numb and you're telling me you're considered puny by their standards?!" Keith asked in shock.

"I wouldn't go that far. The Nemean Enforcer would've never gotten his reputation if he was a weakling. I just happen to be mid-tier when it comes to brawn. It's not really a big deal. Fights are decided by more than just muscle." Vince casually explained.

"Did you hear that? I hope your taking notes my little brawler." Allie teased.

"Now that I think about it, Layla has mentioned how strong her brothers are. I guess I never really gave it much thought though." Keith pondered.

"I figured you'd never forget after we slaughtered you guys in that Kowla tournament a few years back." Vince joked.

"That wasn't our fault! Half of our cousins are pansies!" Keith retorted.

"Maybe you should give them a break, Keith. You aren't exactly 'normal' yourself. Unless you happen to believe that other teenagers routinely break up bank robberies and beat the tar out of armed criminals." Angelica sternly reminded him.

"You guys can't actually still be mad about that! I didn't even wanna go to the stupid bank in the first place! But Mom kept hassling me about being responsible with my savings and this and that-so finally, I just caved. It's not my fault some idiots tried to rob the place while I was opening an account." Keith replied defensively.

"Angelica told me about that. It sounds like you handled yourself pretty well. You and Jordy should hang out more." Vince pleasantly suggested.

"We would if we could. And I'd love to see Layla more often too." Keith earnestly replied before growing quiet. "I never really thanked you guys for helping me visit her. I really appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem, Keith. I just wish I could promise I'd be able to help you more in the future." Vince lamented.

"They haven't actually banished you, have they?" Angelica anxiously inquired.

"Of course not but if I really do decide to leave, there are going to be repercussions. Wrandok already told me in no uncertain terms that if I go, I shouldn't bother coming back. And with Mal being away right now…" Vince trailed off.

"What _about_ Dad? What did he have to say before he disappeared?"

"You know Mal, he'd never let me worry. He told me that no matter what I decided, I'd have his blessing and protection. He hugged me after that. That was what unnerved me a little. It was like he was saying goodbye."

"He told me to be happy. 'Take care of each other and be happy, Angel.' Those were the last words he said to me before he vanished into the Abyss. Vince, what's been happening over there?"

"Lots of things. Before I left, the pirates were getting bolder and more ruthless. There's also the decision of succession. Lou's the frontrunner and the best choice by all accounts but he's not the only contender. Liv's a candidate too and Wrandok's backing Ray. The whole thing has the potential to get really complicated. Ultimately, it'll be Mal's decision and everybody will accept whatever choice he makes once he gets back but there will be some grumbling if a few people don't get their way."

"But why is Dad planning to hand things over so early? Why is he retiring?"

"That's…it's complicated, Angelica. I'm sorry but Mal doesn't want anyone knowing and I have to respect his wishes." Vince explained.

"It definitely sounds complicated. Maybe that's why I haven't heard from Layla lately." Keith pondered. "Just out of curiosity, who do you think is the best choice?"

"That's a loaded question, pal." Vince joked. "Well, let's see. Lou's the best leader all around and the strongest. He's also got a level head and doesn't make rash decisions, plus the Vorcha love him to a fanatical degree just like Mal. Liv's almost as strong, wields just as much authority and she has the support of all the superhumans who aren't backing Lou. Ray's popular with the Krogan and has Wrandok's support. He's no slouch when it comes to power either. But for the sake of continued galactic stability, I'd go with Lou and hopefully Leon will act as his number two. That would be the perfect situation in my opinion."

"I agree and I hope Dad does too. Ray's been scaring me lately." Angelica seriously added.

"He's spent the last few years training with Krogan and there are drawbacks to that." Vince informed her.

"Dad was raised by a Krogan and spent just as much time with them over the years but I've never felt uneasy around him. Something's obviously different." Angelica countered.

"He also happens to be pissed at me right now. So there's that too." Vince continued.

"Vince, you haven't really talked about it since you've been here. Neither of you have. How are things between all of you." Allie gently asked after making her way over to their table.

"Not good." Vince admitted. "Lou's trying to keep us all together as best he can, Leon and Jordy are still friendly but things are a little thorny when it comes to everyone else. I haven't spoken to Liv since…and I haven't seen or heard from Nate in over a year. Layla's always cordial but Sasha's giving me the cold shoulder and Ray, well he made it clear how he felt before I left. It took weeks for my jaw to fully heal."

"I still can't believe he hit you." Angelica gently added before caressing Vince's face.

"Yeah, well, I don't think things between him and me are ever gonna be friendly again." Vince bitterly stated while taking her hand.

"He's that mad just because you're thinking about leaving the Wolves? Is it really that big of a deal?" Keith asked in confusion.

"It is, Keith. Being a part of the Terminus Wolves is a big commitment. The Fangs, they're soldiers but us…we aren't just the senior mercenaries of the organization, we're all part of Mal's inner circle. And me, I also happen to be his son-A son who's turning his back on everything that his father built or at least that's how Ray sees it. He isn't alone either. There are plenty of Wolves and Fangs who're upset with me too and nothing Mal says will change their minds." Vince lamented.

"Maybe Leon can help. He did contact us about mending fences with everyone else, remember?" Angelica optimistically suggested.

"That was awhile ago Angelica and the fact that we haven't heard back from him is probably proof that he couldn't convince everyone." Vince replied in exasperation. "I'll let him know that we appreciated the effort when he finally does call us again."

"What are you talking about?" Allie curiously inquired.

"Leon was planning to gather everyone together so that we could all talk things out over dinner, the whole Hunter clan. When he mentioned it a few months ago, he'd already gotten Lou's support. He was planning to float the idea by everyone else at Ray's birthday party…Anyway, Liv and I really need to talk and right now, Lou and Leon are the best hopes I have to get a face to face chat with her." Angelica explained.

"I'm glad he hasn't changed. That boy always was the glue that that held all of you together. It's funny. He and Nate were always the troublemakers and now he's the thread connecting everyone. He reminds me of Mal in a way." Allie fondly reminisced.

After a brief silence, a thought suddenly struck Angelica. "It just occurred to me, if you do leave, who's going to be Dad's enforcer?"

"Mal always has backups, Angelica. Do you have any idea how many kids he rescued and raised? How many joined the Fangs and Wolves? And there are always his other golden kids. Mal will be just fine without me."

"His who?"

"Right, I keep forgetting you didn't grow up with us." Vince mused. "Basically, they're kids outside of Mal's family who he considers his own children. They've probably already taken over my job."

"Do you know them?" Angelica eagerly asked.

"Yeah, not well though. One has always hated my guts and now I know why. The other is a complete mystery. He's a friend of Lou's but I've hardly ever met him. A quiet guy with a ferocious reputation who sticks to the background. He's probably the one who's taken over my bloodier assignments." Vince explained.

"Do you guys ever just get a break?" Angelica sympathetically asked.

"Believe it or not, we do. I know the triplets were planning to take one with their friends and crewmates not too long ago. Probably for Liv's benefit, mostly." Vince casually responded. "I wonder where they decided to go?"

"Most likely somewhere outside of Citadel Space and far away from us." Angelica quietly surmised.

"Speaking of vacations, have you two gotten your fill of Earth yet?" Allie pleasantly asked.

"Almost, we'll probably head for the Citadel in a few days. If I really do leave the Wolves, I'll have to decide where to hang my hat and start looking for a few employment opportunities." Vince leisurely responded.

"You should have a talk with Darryl once he gets back later. He has an old friend who might be able to help you." Allie suggested.

"And you're welcome to keep crashing here for as long as you want. Don't mind Dad, he'll get used to it." Keith humorously added causing everyone to laugh.

"I might just take you up on that offer, Keith." Vince cheerfully stated.

* * *

"Hi Uncle Darryl! Bye Uncle Darryl!"

The swift greeting and the abrupt departure of the young woman who'd extended it were like a sharp gust of wind as the front door quickly shut behind Darryl Hawkins mere moments after he'd entered the home of his brother-in-law.

"Uh, bye Leanne?"

"Try not to let it bother you. She's a career woman now." Ethan joked while coming to meet him.

"She's an independent software designer, right? Where is she going in such a hurry?" Hawkins asked in confusion.

"She's got a meeting with a representative from Ariake Technologies. Apparently they're interested in one of her new omni-tool designs." Ethan explained.

"Damn Ethan, first that deal with Saronis Applications, now this? Exactly how rich is your little girl and when is she planning to buy you and Zoe a mansion?" Hawkins humorously replied.

"Probably around the same time when Kev decides to buy you and Allie yours." Ethan jested. "I saw his last fight. Fastest KO I've ever witnessed. If he keeps this up, I don't see any reason why the London Lancers won't be clamoring to have him once he enters the Urban Combat Championship League."

"Tell that to Allie. She's still not completely okay with his decision. I don't even want to think about how she'll react once Keith turns eighteen and follows through on his plans. Maybe if Jayce earns enough medals in the Alliance, she'll ignore it." Hawkins replied in exasperation.

"Sounds rough as usual but then again, you did marry her and I warned you beforehand about what you were getting into, so chin up Captain." Ethan playfully retorted.

"I hope you didn't call me over here just so I could hit you."

"I actually wish that was the case, Darryl." Ethan responded after growing serious. He then led his brother-in-law into the living room of his house where they each took a seat on a sofa. "A few months ago, four SPECTRES disappeared after being sent to investigate 2181 Despoina."

"What?! Why the hell weren't we informed?!" Hawkins furiously demanded.

"Because someone didn't want us to know that they were being deployed. The only reason I know is because of Kang and Kimmy."

"I guess we lucked out when Castlebrook's niece took over for him." Hawkins mused. "How did they find out?"

"Oddly enough, it was because the new Krogan SPECTRE went sniffing around and sent his findings to Wrex and Kang. All signs are pointing to the whole operation being a disaster and now everything is being covered up. There's something else…two of the missing agents were already in the area when they got diverted to Despoina and no one seems to know why. And if they do, they aren't admitting it." Ethan explained.

"Shit, Ethan this can go all kinds of wrong really fast." Hawkins anxiously replied. "If I'm understanding this right, there were two Council SPECTRES operating out in the Terminus Systems before the Despoina op without our knowledge and there's no telling who they were answering to or what their orders were. Does Hunter know about any of this?"

"I don't think so but it's only a matter of time before he finds out. Mal made it clear years ago that he won't condone SPECTRES operating anywhere near his domains. Once he hears about this, I don't know…Darryl, I might not be able to smooth this one over. We've got to find out what happened to those agents and what they were doing out there."

"Alright, let's calm down and take this step by step. Who are the missing SPECTRES?"

"Glarivi Janera, Seyra D'rais, Vellus Eraslin and Miles Brennan."

"Brennan?! As in Commander Brennan?! One of your old man's handpicked kiss-ass goody-goodys?! Oh, this just gets better and better." Hawkins replied in exasperation. "Ethan, please don't tell me he was one of the guys who was already out there."

"I'm afraid so. Him and Vellus. I'm keeping this whole thing a secret from Dad for the time being. I think you can understand why."

"Damn it! Ethan, we might not be able to clean this one up."

"We have to and fast. I'm gonna have to tell Mal something when he finally gets back from wherever he is and calls but more importantly we have to figure out which Council member set this mess in motion."

"You're right. I really hate politicians." Hawkins quietly raged. "What about our Krogan colleague in the SPECTRES? Can we count on him to keep up the help?"

"Krevrak said he'd keep me posted. Right now he's following up on a few leads in the Terminus Systems. He stands a much better chance of discreetly operating out there than we do and we've got our own clues to investigate."

"The first Krogan SPECTRE and he's the one who stumbles across something like this. Well, I hope he can handle himself. If anyone out there finds out who he is, it won't be pretty." Hawkins placidly remarked.

"He'll be fine and hopefully he can fill us in on what those idiots were doing out there. I've got a bad feeling about this, Darryl. A really bad feeling."

"That makes two of us." Hawkins quietly responded. "I better get back. I'll tell Allie what we know later after our houseguest and my kids head out to meet Leanne and Noah." he announced afterwards before getting to his feet.

"So Vince is still staying with you guys? You don't still have him sleeping on the floor downstairs, do you?" Ethan humorously inquired.

"My house, my rules. There will be no hanky-panky under my roof unless it's between me and my wi-"

"Ugh! Alright, I get it!" Ethan quickly interjected in disgust. "Darryl, make sure you keep quiet about this. Vince is a good kid and he loves Mal more than you realize. Remember that." he seriously added.

"I know. It's a shame some of Hunter's people are pushing to have him kicked out. What the hell is going on over there right now? Hawkins pondered.

"If I had to guess, I'd say things are changing and not necessarily for the better." Ethan surmised.

Only time would tell how accurate his guess would be.


	11. Chapter 11 Devotion

Chapter 11: Devotion

"How are we looking right now?"

"Three more enemy dreadnoughts have been destroyed but we lost two squadrons of frigates in the process."

"That's less than what I expected, but still…Alright, maintain our current operation and keep me posted on any enemy reinforcements that enter the system."

Leon Hunter took a moment to rub the back of his neck while reclining in a chair that occupied the conference room where he was about to dismiss the latest in a long line of strategy meetings. The flagship where he was currently stationed happened to be the head of the Vorcha's largest fleet and was serving as the coordination hub for all of the naval operations in the Kyzil System. So far, despite being outnumbered and slightly outgunned, the young soldier had managed to lead the Vorcha's formidable space forces to a stalemate against their pirate aggressors and had even gained a momentary advantage. But the continued battles were beginning to take a toll and he was growing increasingly worried about his brother and sister who were both fighting on the planet below along with their friends. He needed to end things quickly so that he could join them.

After taking a deep breath and shutting his eyes, a tender pair of hands began massaging his shoulders and he immediately smiled. "Keiko, Sonia hasn't left yet."

"So?" his better half playfully responded.

"Don't mind me. Feel free to continue." Sonia joked.

"Did you need something else?" Leon politely asked.

"Leon, the girls and I have been wondering exactly how much longer you're planning to keep us up here. Liv is fighting her ass off down on Heshtok's surface and so is Julian. They need us." Sonia fervently insisted.

"It's still too dangerous to send anyone down, you know that. Any shuttle we deploy will just get blown away during the entry attempt." Leon sternly explained. "Don't worry, you'll all get plenty of time to ogle Julian later. He might even have a few scars for you to look at." he humorously added.

After promptly giving him the finger, Sonia departed and Leon was left feeling slightly amused and a little less fatigued.

"You do love to tease people, don't you?" Keiko chided in a lighthearted manner while continuing her massage.

"I can't help it. It's just so easy. If Julian was any other guy, they'd all be fighting over him at this point. The only man in the Amazons-Pop, you really do have the best sense of humor." he casually stated before releasing a laugh.

"You think your father sent him to join them?"

"Of course he did. Liv needed somebody to watch over her and with everything that's been going on lately, it couldn't be me or Lou."

"Speaking of which, I was wondering if you still intended to follow through on that plan of yours."

"You're damn right I am." Leon resolutely assured her. "This whole situation has gotten way out of hand, Keiko. I mean, the Hunters have never been perfect but we've always been a family. I'm not about to let that change because of a few ill tempers, some jealousy and rampant stupidity."

"Leon, I hate to say this but it sounds like the root cause is-"

"Don't." Leon quickly interrupted while frowning. "That's just an excuse. Every single issue that's cropping up right now has been simmering for years and the whole Vince and Angelica scenario is just being used as a way to lash out. I know my brothers and sisters better than anyone and once this war is finished, we're all gonna sit down and talk to each other like adults, even if I have drag them all kicking and screaming."

"You think it'll be that simple?"

"Of course not but I have to try. We're family for crying out loud." Leon replied in exasperation. "At least Lou's with me on this. He's been trying to keep everyone together for awhile now but he's gonna have other responsibilities soon. He really is the most mature one-the best leader, the strongest soldier, Pop's right hand man, damn…I guess that's part of the problem."

"Okay, I agreed to help you with this family dinner of yours, I think the least you can do is explain what the source of all this tension is." Keiko demanded.

"Where do I even start?" Leon sighed. "Well, there's the obvious issue of Vince thinking about leaving the Wolves to be with Angelica and how that's rubbing a few people the wrong way. There's the whole Liv confessing to him and getting turned down thing. Then of course nearly everyone taking sides and finally the issue of who's gonna take over for Pop looming in the background. Like I said before, they're all being stupid."

"You can't blame them for being a little upset, Leon. Vince would be walking away from a lot and leaving behind a lot of people who look up to him."

"That might be true but he's still our brother and we should be supporting him. It's his life and being with Angelica makes him happy and it makes her happy too. Why can't that just be enough for everyone? Pop even gave them his blessing before he left. Man, if he was here right now and knew about all the garbage that was going on…"

"Angelica and Liv, how are you planning to reconcile those two?" Keiko gently inquired.

"Honestly, I don't know. But I figure getting them in the same room and talking to each other would be a good start. We all warned Liv repeatedly, hell, Lou even pleaded with her not to pursue that damned crush. I guess in the end, it all comes back to how dumb they both really are. It was always a competition with those two. Who'll get to be Pop's favorite girl. The idiots never stopped to realize that they were both his gems, meanwhile the competition for favorite son grew ten times worse especially with Ray's jealousy starting to surface." Leon explained.

"You can't be serious? Ray? He always seemed so content to me."

"Keiko, I know my little brother. We talked a lot back when I was training the new Blood Fangs on Cartagena. He hides it well and he'll never admit it but a part of him resents Vince and Lou. Vince for being Pop's confidante and Lou for being his favorite. That's why he's so angry right now. In his mind, Vince had the perfect position, a place at our father's side and now he's throwing it away. Meanwhile, Big Bro Dynamo is poised to inherit Pop's legacy and everyone knows it. Then there's the fact that Pop personally took a few kids outside of the family under his wing. That still irks Ray. He can't stand the fact that he wasn't personally mentored too. Toss in his frustration with Nate's slacker attitude and Pop's refusal to disown him despite his shameless lounging around and presto! You've a got a recipe for disaster complete with a volatile, angsty teenager who's basically a walking tank thanks to his training with Wrandok. Assuming I can actually pull this little get-together off, I really hope no fights end up breaking out."

"I didn't realize he was so angry. But I can actually understand him being annoyed with Nate. He's a total deadbeat. Why do your parents put up with him?"

"I don't know Keiko. Nate was always carefree, maybe they aren't surprised. I just hope they aren't still sending him credits. I'm pretty sure he makes enough to get by off of that nightclub he owns in Nos Astra. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed in him myself but Lou says we should all just let him be so I'll leave it at that."

"Well I won't! He's an embarrassment to you, Lou and everyone else! Why couldn't Mal have trained him? He could stand to learn a thing or two about discipline and self-control. Just look at Julian. He's my mother's favorite student aside from Jordy."

"Oh man, I almost forgot about Julian. Ray's gonna flip when he finds out he's back." Leon lamented.

"Why?"

"Jealousy, remember? And Julian is an easy target. Pop loves him and he's Lou's best friend outside of me whether he realizes it or not. I'm glad that Pop reached out to him for Liv's sake but…no, Ray's just gonna have to get over this." Leon resolutely stated.

"I think I'm starting to understand why you were getting so many headaches even before this war broke out." Keiko softly whispered after wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah, we're a pretty messed up bunch and that's without mentioning the twins. Lou and Jordy are the only normal ones." Leon joked.

"What about you?"

Leon took a moment to consider her question before finally responding. "A few years back, Pop took me on a fishing trip to Kahje. It was just the two of us, which is pretty rare. I mentioned it before but there's no shortage of people who want to spend time with him. Anyway, we were in this boat a few kilometers outside one of those domed cities they've got, just relaxing while waiting for a bite. After awhile, Pop reached into a cooler and grabbed a couple of bottles of this mineral water that's a local specialty and we both started drinking it. Once they were empty, we just sat back and started staring at the sky. A few minutes later, he leaned over and said, 'I think I might've screwed you guys up' while staring at me. At that point, we both lost it. We ended up laughing so hard our sides started hurting and we missed a few catches but it felt good. To everyone else Pop is a hero, teacher, mentor, leader, shoulder to cry on and a goddamn pillar of stability. Sometimes I think they all forget that he's a human too and that maybe, just maybe, he'd occasionally like to have a good laugh with his kids. And that's all I ever wanted to give him. Whenever he's with me, he can just be Pop, an ordinary guy having fun with his son. Let everyone else trip over themselves trying to earn titles and notoriety for the sake of impressing him. I'm more than happy to be the kid that he can just be himself around. I don't know if that makes me normal or some kind of weirdo but that's how I feel." he earnestly explained.

"Leon Joseph Hunter, you are a wonderful son." Keiko fervently announced before kissing him.

She then took a seat across his lap while he tenderly embraced her. "Are you sure you want to marry into this?" he joked while playing with her left hand as the lights in the conference room illuminated a diamond engagement ring that was adorning it.

"I said yes, didn't I?" she cheerfully responded before kissing him again.

"One good thing about seeing Vince and Angelica again will be getting to invite them to the wedding." Leon happily stated.

As the couple continued to hold each other, a message from the bridge suddenly jolted them back to reality. "Leon! We're getting a transmission from Rabbit! He says it's urgent!" Sonia informed him.

"Rabbit! Damn it, it's about time! But why the hell is he contacting me?!" Leon anxiously wondered after getting to his feet with Keiko.

"It's probably something serious, we should hurry." she urged.

"Sonia, patch him through to the communication room." Leon ordered before departing the conference area and making his way to the aforementioned comm center. After entering, he was greeted by a somewhat unstable holo-image of his friend who seemed to be in dire straits.

"It's about time we got through to somebody!" Rabbit raged as explosions went off in the background.

"Rabbit! What's going on?! Are you alright!?"

"Leon, just listen cause we don't have a lot of time. Ghost Fang and I snagged some serious info on Lorek and it wasn't easy making our escape. We figured we'd haul ass to Omega but once we got there, we found the Den under attack and our boys getting gunned down by all three of the major merc factions. It's official. The Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Pack have declared war on us. And that's not even the worst of it. The Batarian raiders have some kind of super dreadnought headed for the Kyzil System as we speak and they're probably getting help from the mercs too. We're on our way with a few squadrons of frigates to help but there's no way we'll beat the enemy reinforcements and I think their immediate backup trumps ours. It's about to get ugly, big dog." Rabbit explained in a grim tone.

"Shit, alright. I'd better get to work on a counter-strategy. Rabbit, what's your status?"

"Oh, you know, just out cruising and getting shot at by a few Eclipse fighters while speeding towards an imminent bloodbath. Nothing too serious." he sarcastically quipped. "Don't worry about me dumbass, start working on a plan to…save…better…Liv…"

"Rabbit! RABBIT!"

Leon's desperate shouts went ignored as his friend's holo-image flickered from existence following another explosion in the background.

"Leon, we have to get ready. If the pirates and the mercs really have allied with each other-"

"We'll be dealing with six different armies without enough reinforcements." Leon finished for her. "I might be at my limit here, Keiko. Naval tactics was the only subject that I ever beat Lou and Liv at but this-Well, I guess this is where I'll finally earn my badass nickname. Damn it, I was really enjoying just being Leon Hunter too."

"You'll still be my boo. That's good too, right?" Keiko teased.

"Hell yeah it is. Let's do this." he announced before leading the way to the bridge.

He arrived just in time to witness the arrival of a veritable horde of enemy ships that included vessels of war from all three major mercenary factions and rivals of the Terminus Wolves.

"Alright everybody, just in case you were wondering, it's on." Leon confidently declared, slightly easing his subordinates' anxiety and causing a few to cheer.

Afterwards he took a moment to analyze the readings and data on the size and scope of the enemy incursion before making a painful decision. "Sonia, relay this message to fleets five and seven. Engage the enemy mercenaries and don't ease up, no matter what."

"Understood." Sonia solemnly obeyed before sending his message from the cockpit.

"There's no other way?" Keiko quietly asked in horror.

"No, there isn't. I can either let all eight fleets fall or sacrifice the two smallest in order to weaken the mercs and buy us some time. Don't forget, we still have the pirates to deal with and that super dreadnought thing that the raiders are sending." Leon seriously explained. "I really hate making these calls. Big Bro Dynamo, feel free to take this burden off all our shoulders once this fight is over." he lamented.

Once the relevant fleets received his orders, they immediately set off to execute his command without hesitation. The resulting carnage was painful to watch as the fleets were torn apart while engaging the superior forces of the enemy who was at least halted for the time being.

"I want all remaining fleets to focus on the pirates. I repeat, focus on the pirates. Maintain our previous strategies and be sure to eliminate any damaged dreadnoughts. They're the most wounded group right now and the more of them we clear out, the better off we'll be once that big toy of theirs shows up." Leon ordered.

His commands were once again relayed to the surrounding fleets and quickly carried out resulting in substantial losses for the already battered pirate forces. The Batarian Raiders, Yahg Marauders and Forgotten were all beginning to falter under the assaults.

"Okay looking good so far, hopefully we can finish this before the big guns get here."

Unfortunately his hopes were quickly crushed when a massive Batarian dreadnought arrived in the system equipped with an enormous thanix cannon and accompanied by a slew of fighters.

"I hope that brilliant brain of yours has a plan for dealing with that thing." Keiko anxiously whispered after observing the readings from their sensors.

"There's only one strategy that stands any chance of working. Send the Demon Gunner squadrons in full force. I want them divided into two main units. One will be responsible for hitting that thing from every direction. The other will keep the enemy fighters off our backs. Experience has already taught us how lousy Batarian pirates' GARDIAN Systems are and the Demons happen to be the best pilots this side of the galaxy. Also contact the Detok and Sadesh and have them join us in our approach. Let's hope three dreadnoughts can take down one big eyesore. Everybody, prepare to engage." Leon ordered. "Sorry Pop, I know how expensive it was equipping all of the flagships with Quantum Entanglement Communicators but it looks like I'm gonna have to risk damaging one." he quietly lamented.

"Considering the situation, I think Mal would understand." Keiko assured him while squeezing his hand.

After receiving his orders, the fighter squadrons known as the Demon Gunners immediately closed in and began performing swift surgical strikes against the Batarian dreadnought while simultaneously destroying a large number of enemy fighters after commencing their divide.

"Tell the Detok and Sadesh to fire their thanix cannons as soon as they're in range and follow up with another synchronized salvo after we fire our shot. Make sure they understand that the shots have to be perfectly timed. We can't afford any mistakes here." Leon commanded.

His plan was almost instantly derailed when a blast from the enemy dreadnought's massive thanix cannon tore the Detok apart before it or its allies could get in range.

"Plan B everyone. Tell the Sadesh to synchronize fire with our thanix and prepare to fire the mass accelerator cannon after the first barrage. I don't want a single delay between the shots." Leon calmly ordered. "I never thought I'd be glad that we took some of Uncle Wrandok's insane advice. 'Why not slap both the big guns on the damned thing. It'll be fun.' It's a good thing Pop was drunk enough to listen at the time." he muttered while mimicking his excessively brutal uncle with a bizarre sense of gratitude and incredulity.

Before he could appreciate his Krogan uncle's questionable suggestion for ship armaments any further, his previous commands proved to be highly destructive to the enemy dreadnought after the combined thanix assault and mass accelerator bombardment inflicted critical damage to the colossal warship.

"We did it!" Keiko happily exclaimed while the rest of the bridge staff cheered.

"No, not yet." Leon informed her with a serious expression on his face. "I want the Sadesh to maintain fire on the enemy dreadnought while all non-essential personnel prepare to abandon both ships."

"Leon, what-"

"Keiko, we maimed the damned thing but it's still functional. I don't know what kind of armor they managed to snag but it was strong enough to withstand two dreadnought class thanix blasts and a shot from a jumbo sized mass accelerator cannon. We don't have much time before they make their counterattack." Leon explained. "Sonia, you wanted out, well now you've got it. Take your girls and grab a shuttle. When you see Julian, tell him to take care of my sister. And tell Lou and Liv, we'll always be the triple threat." he solemnly ordered.

"Leon…I got it. I'll tell them, I promise." Sonia vowed before departing the bridge with everyone else who was preparing to leave after his instructions echoed across the ship.

"That order was meant for you too." Leon sternly announced while facing his fiancé.

"Too bad, I'm not going anywhere." Keiko defiantly replied while staring back at him.

"Damn it Keiko, we only have a few minutes at the most before that thing starts targeting us. One good hit is all it'll take even with state of the art armor. When I asked Mason and Rika for your hand…I promised them that I'd always take care of you. I'm a lot of things and not all of them are good but I don't want to add liar to the list, especially when it comes to you." Leon pleaded while caressing her cheek.

"I made the same promise to Mal and Tess. So I guess we're at our first impasse. It'll be good practice for when we're finally married." Keiko quietly joked.

After gazing at her for a moment longer, Leon promptly lifted her off her feet and kissed her even more passionately than before and returned her to her feet. After taking her hand, he looked around the bridge to address the handful of vorcha crewmen who had remained to help him.

"I love you Mrs. Hunter and I love all of you bastards too. Now let's hit it! Blast that piece of shit with everything we've got!" he roared.

The next few moments were a blur as Leon's flagship and the Sadesh fired one final volley of thanix and mass accelerator shots that ripped through the enemy dreadnought, finally bringing it down but not before it returned the favor and tore through Leon's ship with its own final shot. He had no idea how long he was unconscious but when he awoke, the entire bridge was on fire and everyone around him was lying dead or motionless including the one person he couldn't imagine living without.

"Keiko! KEIKO!" he shouted in agony. "No, not like this. I'll get us out of here. I'll get _you_ out of here." he choked before staggering to his feet.

Afterwards, he gently lifted his fiancé's body into his arms before storming from the bridge. He ignored the burns that he'd sustained in the attack and the blood that was trickling from the head wound that was threatening to drag him from his senses. After rushing down a corridor from the command deck, he found himself caught in another explosion. Without thinking, he shielded his bride-to-be with his own body, sustaining even more injuries before finally struggling to an escape pod.

"It'll be a tight squeeze baby, but we'll make it." he coughed after cramming both of their bodies inside.

A moment later the escape vessel was jettisoned from the ship just as it exploded sending the escape pod hurdling towards Heshtok's surface where a small, mysterious craft of unknown design and origin quickly pursued it unbeknownst to the warring ships that were still battling in the surrounding space.

After crashing in a field full of weeds, the pod eventually opened as the battered young man occupying it continued to cling to life for the sake of delivering the woman he loved to a medical facility.

"Hang on Keiko, just…just a little further. Once I get you to a hospital, everything will be okay." Leon stubbornly babbled in between breaths as more of his blood began to spill to the ground while he limped through the field of brambles to parts unknown. "Liv's never gonna let us hear the end of it when she sees us and Lou will…Lou will…"

As he struggled to continue, fatigue, blood loss and a myriad of other injuries finally began taking their toll causing him to fall to his knees. "Not here, I promise Keiko." he persisted before rising once more and taking notice of a peculiar aircraft descending on his location.

He didn't have time to register who the oddly organic looking craft belonged to before a small army of unusual looking humanoid creatures with oversized craniums, three fingers on each hand and strange combat armor that was unlike anything he'd ever seen before began descending on his location. It was sleek, shimmering, beige and carapace-like in appearance. Within moments, he found himself surrounded by a dozen of the strangers in addition to two asari and a turian, all three of whom were heavily armed and armored. Before long, one final alien stranger descended from the ship. He was even bigger than his cohorts who were all formidable themselves and rivaled the heights and builds of superhumans. His armor was also more distinct bearing an orange V across the chest. The enormous newcomer calmly made his way forward while studying Leon and the body of the young woman that he was holding.

" **Subject: Female, Human. Status: Deceased."**

The mystery man seemed to be communicating using telepathy as his words burned inside Leon's head and confirmed what he'd been fighting to deny from the moment he'd seen her body aboard their ship.

"FUCK YOU!" Leon roared before gently pressing his forehead against Keiko's. "Fuck you."

" **Subject: Male, Ascended Human. Status: Critically injured. Further details: Subject is of the Hunter Dynasty. Proceed with the Greaters' directives."**

As if responding to his orders, three of the creature's subordinates began moving towards Leon, who immediately responded by unleashing a biotic flare that they and their colleagues promptly guarded against using the peculiar gauntlets of their armor. After absorbing the energy from his assault, they found themselves on the receiving end of another massive biotic flare that overwhelmed their devices, causing them to explode. Before they could recover, Leon pulled out a Spark Surge heavy pistol and began opening fire, killing two of the bizarre creatures and wounding another before their leader once again intervened by firing an energy shot from his right hand gauntlet and dropping Leon who was already severely injured.

The creature then made its way towards him as he struggled to crawl back to Keiko's body. It was joined by the mystery Turian and another alien subordinate who appeared to be his second in command based on his similar size and the fact that he too, possessed a distinguishing feature on his armor-an orange circle adorning the chest. After crushing Leon's hand with his foot, the alien leader extended a small grey blade from his left hand gauntlet and promptly stabbed him through the back before kicking his body over.

" **Gather a sample of his blood. We will unravel its secrets later."**

His number two quickly complied and withdrew a small, fleshy looking vial from his armor and immediately gathered a sample of Leon's blood from the stab wound.

"Who the hell are you?" Leon spat.

" **My designation is Augury."**

"Well asshole, my family is gonna fuck you up." Leon defiantly announced.

" **Unlikely."**

The creature then gave a nod to his Turian associate who then pulled out a Samaritan heavy pistol and pointed it at Leon's head.

" _Keiko, I'll see you soon. Lou, Liv, always fight together. Everybody, fight together."_

The gunshot and silence that followed would have irreversible repercussions that would resonate for weeks to come.

* * *

"Leon!"

Lucas Hunter couldn't explain what he was feeling when he suddenly sprang from his bunk in a cold sweat. All he knew was that something was terribly wrong. It felt as though part of him had just died.

"Lou, what is it? You're drenched! Come here!" his girlfriend fretted before wiping his face.

"Rain, I think Leon is gone."

"Can't be. It was just a nightmare, Leon would never leave us." she assured him while continuing to wipe his face.

"Rain, I sensed it. I felt it."

"Come here."

He reluctantly obeyed and she spent the next few minutes embracing him while desperately hoping that his instincts were wrong.

* * *

Julian was already halfway to his barracks door when the pounding outside grew almost frantic. After opening it, he was shocked to discover Olivia standing outside half-dressed and bordering on hysterics.

"Julian! Leon, h-he's gone! My brother, my brother is gone!" she cried before collapsing into his arms.

"Liv…"

He wasn't quite sure how to respond to her panic, so he simply did what he'd promised he would several days earlier. He held her and he continued to hold her even after they entered his room and after she'd cried herself to sleep on his bunk and even after she began mumbling during her slumber. While observing her troubled rest, the young warrior made yet another vow for her sake.

"Liv, the three of you have a bond that I doubt anyone can fully comprehend. If Leon has indeed fallen, then his killers had best prepare themselves."

Julian Steele was a man of his word.


	12. Chapter 12 Fighting Through the Pain

Chapter 12: Fighting Through the Pain

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Liv."

The apology from her subordinate and the sullen faces of her crew seemed to confirm what Olivia Hunter had feared the most during the last few hours. Her unit had only just appeared at the hidden barracks that was now serving as a rendezvous point for an ever expanding force of newly arriving ground troops. The Vorcha fleets in space were now being overwhelmed by the combined forces of enemy mercenaries and the remains of the pirate bands who'd initiated the conflict in the first place. All across the system allied ships were being destroyed and evacuees were being forced to take their chances by regrouping on Heshtok's surface or face destruction at the hands of their aggressors. The man who'd managed to hold so many predators at bay for so long was now gone and the loss was heart wrenching, especially for the brother and sister with whom he'd shared a particularly powerful bond. The Hunter Triplets were now missing their third and things would never be the same.

"Damn him…he was supposed to get married. We were going to have a big wedding with everyone and…DAMN IT!" Olivia screamed before once again breaking down into tears.

The melancholy inside the armory where she and the rest of the base's fighters were gathered seemed to grow exponentially following her outburst. A strong but gentle pair of hands quickly met her shoulders and immediately eased her sorrow. The man they belonged to was quickly becoming an important source of strength for her and a very special friend.

"Sonia, are you certain? Leon and Keiko, perhaps-"

"They're gone, Julian." Lucas quietly interjected. "Our brother is dead, we both know it, we both felt it. And Keiko would never leave his side, even when facing the end. The sooner we come to terms with it, the sooner we can..."

Lucas couldn't continue before succumbing to his own grief and bracing himself against a weapons locker after faltering slightly. He took a few moments to collect himself while Rain wrapped her arms around him.

"Lou, just let it out." she pleaded.

"This isn't the time. I have to be strong, for all our sakes. The mercs are gonna be deploying troops down here before long and I can't afford to be weak. Besides, Hunter men don't cry. We don't shed tears, we avenge them." Lucas resolutely stated before straightening up. "Grace, what's happening out there right now?"

"Lou, you shouldn't-"

"Grace!" he persisted.

"Your guess was right. The remaining pirate forces are ceasing their attacks on the city and mobilizing with the mercenaries' landing parties. From the looks of it, they're all planning to target the geothermal plants that are powering the capital and the larger cities. The biggest force is headed for the Lunaga plant. Our scouts say that hostiles include soldiers from the Forgotten, Yahg Marauders, Batarian Raiders and all three mercenary groups. They're also being reinforced by more rogue Krogan. They'll reach the plant within the next few hours and the defenses protecting it are minimal thanks to the previous attacks by the pirates." Grace solemnly explained while continuing to observe Lucas with a look of concern.

"Alright, we know what we have to do. I want all of our reserve troops and every Vorcha soldier who's not part of my crew protecting the other plants. We'll make our way to Lunaga and safeguard it ourselves. It sounds like that's their primary target and I won't let them get their way. Let's move out." Lucas ordered.

Everyone present quickly obeyed and began making their departures. A few moments later, Lucas and Julian were the only ones remaining.

"Lucas, I know this can't be easy for you. I know because it's sheer agony for Liv. I realize that you want to put up a strong front for the others but you should realize that you aren't alone right now. I can't imagine what you're feeling and I won't pretend otherwise but I considered Leon a friend, a good one and one of the few that I possess. Having lost him, it hurts all of us. With that being said, I won't accept losing you or Liv too. And I won't tolerate you carrying the burden of seeing us all through this on your own." Julian adamantly stated.

"Julian…he was part of me. The best part, the part that kept me grounded, the part that could make me laugh regardless of the situation. I don't know what I'm gonna do now. Without Leon, I'm the Beast of the Abyss and nothing more. How the hell am I supposed to recover from this? He and Liv represent pieces of me that just can't be replaced. We've always been together, supported each other, protected each other and it's been that way since before any of us was born." Lucas explained sincerely. "If I'm this messed up right now…Liv's been through enough already and now she has to deal with losing part of her soul, just like me. The rest of our family will too and that thought terrifies me."

"I'll help. I'm not quite sure how, but I'll help. With the burden of command, looking after the others, facing the enemy and everything else yet to come. My assistance may not mean much but it's all I can offer. And it goes without saying that Liv won't have to deal with her anguish alone. I just hope she's willing to lean me, if only a little."

"Julian, I'm glad you're here. There aren't many people who I could honestly say I'd rely on in this situation, in fact, you might be the only one. Thanks."

The two men remained silent for a few moments as the full weight of what they'd just lost and what they were about to face finally set in.

"So, Liv? You started using her nickname. I thought you hated using nicknames."

"It seemed important to her, as a sign of trust I suppose."

"Right…Hang in there buddy."

"Lucas, before we go, are you certain you don't need more time? To grieve or to-"

"I'll be fine Julian. And we don't have any time to waste. More importantly, I've made a decision. The weight of everything from here on out, it's all mine. I'll carry it all, even it means being called a king." Lucas quietly vowed.

"I understand. For what it's worth, I'll follow you. Wherever the path leads, I'll walk it with you."

"Like I said before, I'm glad you're here, Julian. Let's go."

* * *

Less than an hour later, a ferocious battle began unfolding outside of the Lunaga geothermal plant. The facility was responsible for providing ninety percent of the capital's power and taking it offline was a surefire way to not only create instability in Hatash but also make it a far easier target to destroy. The pirates and mercenaries had obviously done their homework or been provided with details by a third party, either way their goal was clear.

"Thorn! Maintain the security turrets and have the boys back you up! We'll deal with the rest! Go!" Lucas commanded while exchanging fire with an advancing Blue Suns trooper as he and Rain fought their way outside the entrance.

His Vorcha engineer and their subordinates quickly obeyed but not before taking the pressure off of Lucas and the others with a bombardment of carnage blasts that halted the advance of several contingents of pirates.

"Sonia, I want you and the girls to handle what's left of the pirates. There aren't many of them left and we dealt with the Krogan in their ranks during the shuttle bombardment when we arrived. Grace will help. The Eclipse mercs are mine." Olivia ordered before opening fire on a squad of Eclipse troopers with a particle submachine gun known as the Firefly. It was another new model weapon that was part of the Terminus Wolves and Fangs' arsenal and especially effective at destroying shields.

She and her companions had been tasked with guarding a small and narrow entrance that served as the only means of breaching the power plant on foot. The security turrets that were lining the enormous walls encircling the installation had done an admirable job of dissuading drop ships from attempting to deploy troops on top of them but unfortunately there was nothing to prevent them from delivering small armies of hostiles outside. Lucas had taken the initiative to head off the bulk of the mobs that were being deposited on the outer perimeter but if he and Rain weren't careful, they would likely find themselves overwhelmed.

"Fine, but once we're finished, we're backing you up." her friend responded tersely before leading their unit in an advance on the scattered squadrons of pirate troops who'd already slipped inside.

"Now where should I start?" Olivia muttered after finally executing a pair of Eclipse troopers with a concentrated particle barrage.

After identifying a trio of Eclipse vanguards, she immediately hurled a dark sphere in their direction before pinning them down with suppressive fire as the potent orb of destruction closed in. Following their barriers' destruction thanks to repeated particle shots, the trio of asari found themselves engulfed in a vicious implosion after Olivia detonated her sphere. She then turned her attention towards the engineers who were deploying combat drones near her barricade. She responded by creating an annihilation field around her body and destroying the drones before yanking one of the hapless engineers towards her with a biotic lash and killing him en route with a flurry of shots from her Firefly. She then switched weapons and aimed an Advent shotgun at the remaining tech specialists before firing a carnage blast that promptly killed them.

Following her success at thinning the Eclipse forces, a group of heavies began opening fire from the rear of the enemies' ranks and their missile fire quickly destroyed Olivia's cover position and sent here flying backwards where a familiar swordsmen was waiting to catch her and retaliate with a biotic slash that tore through the enemy ranks and killed a pair of the perpetrators.

"Two more heavies remain and there are three commandos incoming." Julian calmly stated.

"I'll cover you." Olivia assured him.

"I know." Julian confidently responded before speeding off to meet the commandos.

"You trust me too much, stupid." Olivia whispered while watching him before opening fire on the two remaining heavies with her Firefly.

While Olivia vaporized the remaining heavies, Julian drew his monomolecular blade and engaged the trio of commandos after closing in. He quickly killed two with a close range biotic slash before having his shields destroyed by a Claymore blast from the third. His asari adversary then tore into him with a warp and attempted to kill him with another shot from her shotgun but quickly found herself on the receiving end of a concentrated salvo from a Lumina assault rifle as Julian retaliated. After tearing through her barrier, he quickly cut her down and restored his own defenses with a shield boost moments before a horde of Eclipse troopers began advancing.

"So eager to die? Considering what you've cost us, I'm happy to oblige." he quietly raged before opening fire with his Lumina.

After tearing through several kinetic barriers, he quickly met the flood of new arrivals with his blade and began carving a vortex of destruction in his wake until he was the only man left standing. As he surveyed the aftermath of his onslaught, he quickly took notice of a Gaia mech that was starting to make its way inside the perimeter.

"Lucas and Rain must have their hands quite full with the Blue Suns and Blood Pack if that contraption managed to slip by them. No matter, I'll put it down quickly." Julian calmly announced while eyeing the enormous enemy mech and its pilot.

As he prepared to make his move against the machine, a pair of Eclipse operatives suddenly appeared on each of its flanks and opened fire with incineration blasts forcing him to dodge behind a damaged barricade where the Gaia immediately opened fire with a mass accelerator cannon that destroyed the battered cover position and once again forced Julian into the open. The mech then opened fire with a machine gun while the young warrior responded by creating a biotic sphere to mitigate the damage. Meanwhile, the Eclipse operatives each deployed a combat drone to harass him further while they closed in with their submachine guns. Before either could get any closer they were both hit with an electric slash and impaled in rapid succession as Julian made his counterattack while their drones were destroyed by a string of particle shots from a Firefly as Olivia sped towards them. After reaching Julian, she quickly tackled him from the path of rocket fire from the Gaia mech that was still advancing towards them.

"You idiot! Your bubble isn't strong enough to shake off missiles and you know it!" she scolded while laying on top of him.

"Better it target me than you." Julian calmly replied before embracing her and rolling over as the Gaia continued to spray machine gun shots at them.

After winding behind another set of barricades, he found himself on top of her and slightly embarrassed. "This may prove difficult without heavy weapons. We could target the cockpit but the pilot seems to be more experienced than most and won't likely allow us to get that close."

"No, he probably won't. But there is another way." Olivia pondered. "Julian, I trust you too."

"What?"

"I trust you. So I'm gonna make you my first." she announced.

"What?!" Julian spluttered.

"Synchronize, alright? As soon as we're close enough." she suggested.

"Liv, that's an incredibly dangerous proposition and we're in the middle of a-"

His stubborn leader didn't give him a chance to argue before pushing him off of her and returning to her feet. She then increased her muscle mass with her focus and opened fire on the rampaging Gaia before closing in.

"That woman…" Julian sighed before increasing his own muscles and following her lead.

They quickly closed in on the mech from two different directions as it struggled to target them and compensate for their increased speed. Once they were both in range, Julian unleashed an electric slash that overwhelmed the machine's shields and momentarily stunned it. Before it could recover, they both created annihilation fields around their bodies before carefully merging the effects and releasing one colossal blast afterwards that obliterated the Gaia and left a great deal of collateral damage as well. After taking a moment to observe the burning remains of the war machine, they both noticed that their efforts had finally halted the advance of the Eclipse mercenaries who appeared to have expended what remained of their resources.

"Good, now we just have to wait for Lou and Rain to finish cleaning up outside the entrance." Olivia casually stated after putting her Firefly away.

"Your madness knows no bounds. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Every biotic instructor we ever had warned against using that technique haphazardly and that your partner-"

"Should only be someone who shares similar abilities, exceptional control and above all be someone you happen to trust." Olivia finished for him. "You meet all those criteria and more, so shut up and let me have a look at those cuts while we have a break."

Julian found himself unsure of how to respond so he simply complied with her demands and put his weapons away. "You're an incredibly reckless woman, Olivia Hunter."

"I know but I can't afford to fall anymore. Leon would never forgive me." she quietly responded.

As she reached up to examine a gash on Julian's cheek, he quickly took hold of her hand while staring down at her. "I wouldn't either."

After a thoughtful moment of quiet, she proceeded to treat his injuries while the rest of their unit and Grace quietly rejoined them without their noticing.

"Maybe we should've taken our time." Sonia joked.

"Probably, I'll take note to be more considerate next time." Grace agreed while observing the pair.

* * *

Meanwhile outside the entrance, Lucas was in the middle of battling both the Blue Suns and Blood Pack. He'd already decimated most of the Suns, who were now fleeing following his latest phase disruptor bombardment.

"No running away." he raged before killing the retreating troopers with a shockwave.

Afterwards, he initiated a biotic charge and slammed into a trio of Blood Pack warriors before killing the murderous krogan with a nova. Their Vorcha troopers attempted to retaliate but were promptly gunned down and disintegrated by Lumina fire from Rain who quickly joined her boyfriend.

"Lou, are you alright?"

"I'm fine but these bastards aren't." he coldly replied while glaring at the mountain of corpses he'd accumulated.

"Offense has always been your specialty just like your father but I saw how you were fighting before and I didn't like it." Rain said with a serious expression. "Look at me." she demanded.

Lucas reluctantly obeyed and she instantly recognized the pain in his eyes, the pain that he refused to express in any meaningful way beyond dealing retribution to their enemies.

"Why are you Hunter men so damned stubborn?" she softly berated before embracing him. "If you won't cry for him, then I will. I'll shed every tear you refuse to." she promised before making good on her word and sobbing.

"I can't help it Rain. I guess I'm too much like Dad. We're both beasts that just don't know how to cry." Lucas lamented.

She continued to weep in his arms until their tender moment was interrupted by a very unwelcome interloper who was being accompanied by four additional Blood Pack warriors.

"I expected as much." a massive Krogan in tech armor calmly remarked while examining the destruction that Lucas had caused to his forces and the Blue Suns. "With parents like Mal and Tess, I'd expect nothing less."

"Edge, I'm surprised you actually had the quad to show your face down here." Lucas seethed while Rain quickly turned to face the intruder. "I expect bullshit like this from the Suns and maybe even Eclipse. Grady is a two-bit coward and a snake. Nadine is an opportunist through and through but you and Grim…Dad actually respected you guys in the past and this is how you repay him?"

"This has been a long time coming, whelp. Ever since Mal took control of this planet, he should've been expecting this. The Vorcha belong to the Blood Pack, now and forever. We can't afford to have the Terminus Hunter telling people otherwise or filling the vermin's heads with delusions. All it takes are a few instigators to start spreading nonsense about having better lives and freedom. Imagine having a varren being told it was more than what it was and you can start understanding what I mean." Edge coldly explained. "Funny how they're willing to go from one cage to another. I guess if you make it pretty enough, they'll run to any leash."

"Fuck you." Lucas replied in an equally cold tone. "Some people would argue that we're no better for using them as soldiers but we don't go around kidnapping and beating them into submission. Plenty call him a king but in reality Dad is a galactic overlord and a businessman. What sets him apart from most of the scum who rule other parts of the Terminus Systems and the plutocrats that manipulate business and politics in Citadel Space is his motivation. They pursue power for their own ambitions and Dad does it to benefit the people he cares about. This planet was a complete shithole twenty years ago and now look at it. It's as vibrant and civilized as any Citadel world and the Vorcha are free to come and go as they please. You know why? Because my father met an old man here over two decades ago when he got stranded and together they vowed to make this place better, to make the Vorcha better. And that's what my father did. We don't spit on them, denigrate them or make them feel like trash. They're _our_ Vorcha but that phrase has a completely different meaning when we say it. Call me a hypocrite, call my whole family hypocrites if you want, we may just be benevolent dictators but we're still better than you assholes and we always will be."

A tense silence followed Lucas' speech and the two men continued to glare at each other for quite some time before Edge finally responded. "Those damned eyes, just like your old man's. Do you all have them?"

"All of his boys do. My brother Leon was the only son who had our mother's eyes." Lucas quietly explained. "I'm done talking to you Edge. Let's hurry up and finish this."

"You're his strongest cub, right? The Beast of the Abyss? This oughta be fun." Edge mused before tossing a lift grenade at Lucas and Rain, causing them both to scatter.

"Rain, I'm taking Edge! Don't interfere!" Lucas roared while pulling out his Lumina.

"Vengeance and carnage are lonely paths but I intend to walk them with you regardless. You realize that, don't you?" Rain fervently announced before summoning four biotic orbs that encircled her.

"I've known that since the day we first confessed our feelings to each other." Lucas thought to himself before opening fire on Edge.

Rain simply smiled as if reading his mind before initiating a biotic charge herself and colliding with three of the Krogan Blood Pack Warriors who were attempting to target Lucas with their Punisher submachine guns. She continued to dart around the group, eventually pummeling all four with repeated charges before finally finishing each of them off with an orb strike. Afterwards she stood over their bodies and diverted her attention to Lucas' battle before doing what she'd grown accustomed to doing most over the years when it came to her troublesome lover. She waited. Waiting was always the hardest part.

"Is that it?! IS THAT IT?!" Edge furiously shouted after being hit by another shockwave.

Lucas had clobbered him with phase disruptors, shockwaves, and repeated blasts from his Lumina but the persistent Krogan standing before him simply wouldn't go down despite the slew of injuries that he'd sustained.

"You're a backstabbing piece of shit, Edge. But you're a tough one, I'll give you that." Lucas reluctantly admitted. "If it weren't for that damned tech armor and his blood rage, this would already be over." he irritably muttered.

He then unleashed a biotic charge that sent him on a collision course with Edge who didn't falter in the slightest and immediately responded by detonating his tech armor, destroying Lucas' barrier and sending him reeling before closing in with a headbutt that Lucas quickly dodged while pulling out his knife.

"You earned this, bastard." he snarled before sinking his blade above Edge's ridge plate and severing it in one motion with brutal precision after increasing his strength using his biotic focus.

The resulting screams of agony didn't bother Lucas who calmly withdrew his blade once his work was done and wiped it off on the fallen Blood Pack commander's corpse. Afterwards, he quietly made his way over to his girlfriend who hadn't flinched at all while witnessing the execution.

"If you want to walk away Rain, now's the time. I wouldn't blame you. It's only gonna get worse from here and I don't plan on holding back. They killed my brother and every damn one of them is gonna pay."

"What did I say before? What have I always said?"

"Rain, to keep what I have left safe I'll have to become a monster before this all over."

"Then I suppose we'll both be monsters because I'm not going anywhere."

"You're too good of a woman, you know that?"

"And you're my man, so what does that make you?"

"The same thing as my Dad. Lucky, really damn lucky." Lucas earnestly replied before placing an arm around her and leading the way back to the power plant.

* * *

Several minutes later, everyone had regrouped at the entrance. They had managed to fend off the incursions for the time being but they all knew there would be more. It was only a matter of time.

"Based on the magnitude of this assault, I think it's safe to assume that the other geothermal plants are safe. I find it highly unlikely that the enemy succeeded in deploying enough ground forces to launch multiple operations of this magnitude." Julian surmised.

"I think you're right. But that also means they've dedicated most of what they've got to taking this place. We've probably got a long fight ahead of us." Lucas sighed while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Lou, this is the largest power plant on the planet. I-I can't help but wonder if the enemy has a more sinister motive than simply cutting the power." Grace reluctantly added.

"What do you mean?" Olivia inquired.

"The Lunaga geothermal power plant was the first one constructed, right? Your father had it built in order to take advantage of the Lunaga volcano that's nearby. That volcano is still relatively young, if someone were to cause enough damage in the plant or tamper with its operations, they might be able to trigger an eruption or possibly something worse." Grace grimly surmised.

"That can't be allowed." Julian instantly responded.

"And it won't, I'll see to that." Lucas resolutely stated while folding his arms.

"We'll all see to it." Rain reminded him.

"I just want this to be over. I just want…what I really want is to know that Leon is alive. That he pulled through somehow and is waiting somewhere ready to joke around and tease us with Keiko. But in my heart, I know…I know he's gone." Olivia sadly explained before breaking down into tears. She didn't realize that she was already in Julian's arms or that her trembling had stopped the moment he'd embraced her.

"Some things can't be forgiven. Forcing you and Lucas to suffer this loss is among them." he gently stated.

"I'll never forgive her. I was going to be her maid of honor. Lou was going to be the best man. We had it all planned out." Rain quietly added before crying herself. "She was always there for me whenever I needed advice or a sister. That's what she really was. Keiko, you were the sister I never had." she wept while Lucas wrapped his arms around her.

"Goddamn them. Goddamn them all to hell." he quietly raged.

"Lou, I should've done something, talked Leon out of it. I'm sorry." Sonia added in remorse.

"It's not your fault, Sonia. I knew my brother and he wouldn't have allowed anyone to talk him out of his decision. That's just how he was." Lucas assured her.

After a few moments of silence interspersed with bouts of sobbing, the group was suddenly alerted to the sounds of explosions around the perimeter of the power plant as all of the defensive turrets suddenly fell to an unidentified energy pulse emitted by a mysterious alien craft that had appeared above their location without anyone noticing.

"Big Chief Junior!" Thorn bellowed while sprinting towards Lucas with the rest of his Vorcha colleagues from inside the power plant. "Turrets wrecked and security down!"

"We noticed." Lucas calmly responded while eyeing the strange craft looming above them.

Immediately after responding to his subordinate's panicked announcement, a strange towering humanoid figure slowly descended from the craft and began approaching. The being was unlike any species they'd ever encountered with an oversized cranium, three fingers on each hand and bizarre armor that was easily the most peculiar they'd ever seen. It was almost organic in appearance with a shimmering beige hue while slightly resembling a carapace. After coming to a stop several meters from the group it began communicating using what they could only assume was telepathy.

" **Lucas Hunter, it is our understanding that you are currently in charge of your father's holdings during his absence. We will make this simple. Surrender this planet and everything else that your family controls or suffer the consequences. You are in no position to oppose us."**

"How about no?" Lucas instantly responded in a flippant manner while glaring at the mystery alien.

The creature wasted no time in retaliating for his insolence by firing a barrage of energy blasts that scattered some of his group while others guarded against the onslaught using various tech and biotic defensive measures. Lucas himself stood his ground while maintaining a barrier before returning fire with a volley of phase disruptors that the creature absorbed with its gauntlets, surprising everyone present.

"Well let's see how good the warranty is on those things." Lucas brazenly added before directing a shockwave at the stranger.

The creature once again absorbed his attack but this time his gauntlets exploded and before he could recover from the shock he found himself on the receiving end of a biotic charge that completely shattered his unusual kinetic barrier and sent him staggering. Lucas then pulled out his Advent shot gun and blasted the creature's head off with a carnage blast. Before he could begin pondering who or what the monster was, three more of the mystery creatures descended from their ship while opening fire with their gauntlets. He quickly switched weapons and returned the favor with his Lumina while dodging their fire. His particle beams were causing minimal damage to their seemingly impenetrable kinetic barriers and he found himself on the defensive after they hit the ground. Once they were in range, the strangers fired their own energy beams from their right hand gauntlets. Lucas readied himself by creating a barrier but it was immediately torn apart and he found himself wounded.

The creatures were eager to capitalize on his vulnerability but all three were promptly hammered by a biotic charge as Rain appeared in front of her injured boyfriend. Her attack had destroyed their shields and two were quickly executed with a vicious biotic slash that eviscerated their oversized craniums as Julian sped onto the scene after increasing his muscle mass. The third was nearly torn apart by a warp and immediately killed afterwards by a string of shots for a Firefly as Olivia made her own advance to help Lucas.

"Not. My. Brother. Not again. I won't lose another one." she raged.

"Another one?" a strange voice suddenly mused.

They all quickly looked up to witness the arrival of several more of the ship's occupants who were slowly circling the area on large levitating platforms while observing them. One of the platforms was occupied by another of the alien creatures who was even larger than his cohorts and sporting an orange V across the chest of his armor. He appeared to be completely calm and intrigued by the spectacle of their struggle as two unidentified asari in armor flanked each of his sides. The other platform was occupied by a turian and another of the aliens who was almost big as the one donning a V but sporting a large orange circle across his chest instead. He was also carrying something on each of his shoulders…

"You mean you don't want any more of your precious brothers to end up like this one and his dear mate." the turian apathetically announced moments before his alien associate dropped what he was carrying.

The next few moments were a tortuous slow-motion of indescribable horror as Lucas and all of the others watched helplessly as his brother's maimed and mutilated body hit the ground alongside his fiancé's. For several seconds, he simply couldn't process anything that was happening. The screams, the crying, the sight of a gunshot in his brother's forehead and the lifeless look in his eyes, their mother's eyes, the eyes that only their sisters shared. And then he saw them and immediately snapped back to reality. The turian and his friend had descended to the ground and were entering the plant. There were more strange alien soldiers disembarking from the ship and accompanying them. They obviously weren't normal and would prove to be dangerous opponents but Lucas didn't care. Shock and sadness were quickly giving way to rage, a fury unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his entire life. And so, without hesitation, he shot after them in a biotic blur. He would have his justice.


	13. Chapter 13 Tragic Homecoming

Chapter 13: Tragic Homecoming

"This filth will pay dearly for their deplorable ambitions." Fox furiously announced after the Thanatos and the Terminus Wolves' Grey Fleet entered the Kyzil System and began engaging the scattered forces of the enemy mercenaries and pirates.

It hadn't taken long for her or the other reinforcements who'd arrived to assess the situation, especially after comparing notes on what had happened in the respective areas of space where they'd all been fighting. She and her associates had also established a conference comm line the moment they realized that they'd all appeared almost simultaneously.

"I always knew the Suns were idiots and scum but I thought the other two were smarter than this." Zaeed gruffly remarked from his ship.

"Well apparently they aren't old man. The fact that they just spent the last few days trying to kill me and Ghost Fang is proof of that." Rabbit bitterly responded from his line.

"Ghost Fang? Is he still with you?" Fox curiously inquired.

"No, he took a shuttle and headed for Heshtok almost as soon as we got here. Can't say I blame him." Rabbit explained.

"Ray rushed off too, impulsive brat." Zaeed muttered.

"I'm afraid the twins have departed for the planet as well. I wasn't aware they'd slipped into the reserve forces that I was leading to join Wrandok. He of course found the whole thing amusing and took them along without so much as a scolding." Nisiz lamented.

"Then it seems we've all failed as caretakers." Fox sighed. "Jordy left with Randall for the surface only minutes ago."

"We should clear this system of hostiles and quickly if we wish to join them." Nisiz suggested.

"I agree but I wish we could establish contact with someone first. The Vorcha fleets have nearly been decimated and I can't seem to reach anyone on the planet." Fox anxiously stated.

"We've got bigger concerns right now, Fox. I don't think we've got enough firepower to-Well, I'll be damned." Rabbit suddenly remarked in a quiet state of awe. "Nevermind, I think we're all gonna be okay." he happily stated after examining a few readings on his ship's sensors.

* * *

Confusion, mayhem and bloodshed-those were the most apt ways of describing the scene that was currently unfolding outside of the Lunaga geothermal plant. Leon Hunter's deceased form was lying motionless in the middle of the area along with is dead fiancé and his presumed killers were now inside the plant itself where Lucas Hunter was pursuing them. Meanwhile, his friends and sister were struggling to come to terms with the awful image and the flood of grief that was consuming them the longer they stared at the dead couple. Screams of anguish and weeping were the only sounds echoing across the area at the moment as most of the group surrounded the bodies and mourned them while the enormous leader of the alien creatures continued to calmly observe the spectacle from the floating platform beneath his ship.

"I don't know what these creatures are but despicable doesn't even begin to describe them." Julian furiously stated after catching a glimpse of Leon's body before painfully turning away and listening to Olivia's agonizing shrieks of sorrow.

"Thorn, take your men and go after Lucas. He'll need assistance and the others are in no condition to help. I'll deal with the scum that's still here." he ordered.

Thorn took a moment to look back at the others before diverting his attention upwards at the unidentified stranger and finally back at Julian. "Be careful Tiger. Big heads…they dangerous."

After giving Julian his warning, Thorn led his men towards the entrance of the plant while Julian observed them with a quiet resolve. "I know, but they've caused my two closest friends to suffer and I won't let it pass."

He then stared up at the colossal alien who was still watching everyone and quickly met his eyes. For a brief moment, Julian felt a slight pressure inside his head but before he could ponder the phenomena, more of the strange soldiers began descending from the ship towards his grieving friends.

"Bastards!" he roared before drawing his monomolecular blade and rushing towards them.

A pair of the creatures quickly opened fire on him using their gauntlets and he responded by unleashing an electric slash that destroyed their unusually powerful kinetic barriers and stunned them. They had made the unfortunate mistake of attempting to absorb the attack using their gauntlets, a mistake that Julian was quick to capitalize on.

"So you were expecting biotics? I'll gladly grant your wish!" he raged before eviscerating them with a potent biotic slash.

After witnessing their cohorts fall, the other alien soldiers shifted their attention towards Julian but appeared to be unsure of how to proceed. "You don't know, do you? I'd wager you've been trained to deal with biotics and those without biotic ability but you have no idea how to handle someone who's versed in multiple disciplines. Combat, tech and biotics. It's fortunate that I was trained by masters of all three!" he proudly declared before increasing his muscle mass using his focus and closing in on the mob of hostiles.

As he rushed towards them, he unleashed another electric slash that wreaked havoc on their kinetic barriers before wrapping himself in a lethal biotic aura and carving his way through the horde with a poison strike that ripped through his adversary's armor and prevented it from mending the brutal lacerations that he'd left behind. He made sure to make a mental note of the blue blood that was spilling onto the ground and the grey exoskeletons that were apparently being concealed and protected within the creatures' bizarre armor.

"Oddly shaped heads, blue blood, exoskeletons, carapace-like armor…Most likely an aquatic species." he contemplated before once again glancing up at the aliens' leader. "You! Who are your masters and what do they call you?" he furiously demanded while pointing his blade at the giant.

" **My designation is Augury. My rank is architect. My colleagues and I are Arbiters and we serve the Greaters. I believe you're familiar with them and refer to our masters as Leviathans."**

Every word seemed to burn inside Julian's head. "Leviathans…Mal, they've begun moving just as you said they would."

" **You are one of the Terminus Hunter's soldiers. Your abilities could be…problematic. Proletarians are hereby ordered not to engage this Ascended Human. Now deploying Controllers."**

The order marked the swift arrival of two more hostile alien soldiers, but they appeared to be larger than the previous aggressors and each had an orange circle adorning the chest of their armor.

"I suspected as much. Lucas, exercise caution when you catch up to the one inside the plant." Julian quietly pleaded while steeling himself for the worst.

He took the initiative by making the first move and unleashing another electric slash that the controllers quickly blocked after erecting blue triangular shaped energy shields from their left hand gauntlets before firing a pair of silver discs from their right hand armaments. Julian responded by creating a biotic sphere that was promptly engulfed in an explosion after the projectiles made contact with it.

"Far more destructive than grenades it seems." he groaned while lying on the ground.

His kinetic barrier had been obliterated along with his sphere but he quickly restored a portion of his protection with a shield boost before rolling out of the way of a lethal energy barrage that the controllers were unleashing. After evading the assault and returning to his feet, he pulled out a Spark Surge heavy pistol and began firing, only to have his shots bounce off of the opposition's monstrous kinetic barriers.

"Formidable opponents at any range and against any adversary. These must be your more elite soldiers." Julian calmly surmised, once again taking notes on the enemy's forces. "So be it. Let's finish this."

Afterwards, he increased his muscle mass and wrapped himself in another ominous biotic aura before lunging forward and destroying the controllers' kinetic barriers with a poison strike. After closing in on the menacing pair of hostiles, he promptly elbowed one in the face before quickly sidestepping a jab from the other's energy shield and slaying him with blindingly fast draw of his monomolecular blade. The other controller quickly recovered and attempted to strike with his own energy shield only to have it parried by Julian who then tried to impale him with his blade. His opponent responded by using his right hand gauntlet to fire a devastating cone-shaped energy beam that annihilated his kinetic barriers, seriously damaged his armor and inflicted a nasty wound in his midsection.

"Definitely formidable at any range…" Julian coughed after falling to the ground.

" **He killed a controller while battling two at the same time, unacceptable. Execute him and secure a sample of his blood. The variations within these Ascended Humans is troubling and must be studied."**

Augury's original order that had prevented his lesser soldiers from entering the battlefield had apparently been rescinded and an army of proletarians began disembarking from the ship and converging towards Julian's position.

"I've angered them, good. With any luck, the others will be able to pull themselves together and take Leon and Keiko away from here." he quietly hoped while clutching his blade and pulling out his Spark Surge.

As he prepared to fight the multitude of newcomers, the enemy mob found itself under fire from the very people Julian had hoped would take the opportunity to escape. And one in particular had already killed her way across half a dozen while cloaked in biotic flames before storming towards his location.

"Liv, why couldn't you have just fled?" Julian quietly lamented.

"Because I'm not losing anyone else important to me!" she roared after yanking an approaching proletarian away from him and killing it with a flurry of shots from her Firefly. "How bad is it?! Let me see!" she frantically demanded after reaching him.

He reluctantly moved his arm so that she could get a better look at the brutal wound that was adorning his midsection and bleeding quite profusely. "Have you ever used Red-Med before?" she gently inquired after pulling out a small amount from a compartment in her armor.

"No and from what I hear, it isn't a pleasant experience." Julian admitted.

She took a moment to grasp his hand before preparing the lifesaving red gel that had become another Terminus Wolf standard, at least for the superhuman, krogan and vorcha members. "It isn't." she whispered before squeezing is hand and applying it.

* * *

"GET BACK HERE AND FACE ME!" Lucas roared while firing at a group of proletarians who were covering the escape of their superiors into the power plant.

Eventually, he simply darted down the narrow corridor that they were fighting in with a biotic charge and killed them all with a nova after destroying their kinetic barriers. His targets quickened their pace as he got closer, they hadn't expected him to make such short work of their foot soldiers and they were beginning to run out of pawns. Eventually his quarry reached an intersection and decided to split up. The turian and a team of proletarians went left while his controller companion headed right with the rest of their entourage. Once Lucas reached the intersection himself, he had to make a judgment call. He wanted them both dead more than anything but he also wanted to make sure that he killed whoever was personally responsible for his brother's death.

"The turian was the one talking shit. I guess I'll go for him first." Lucas snarled before rushing left.

It didn't take him long to catch up with the turian stranger who was waiting to ambush him with his team of proletarians in a stairwell at the end of the hall. The small mob immediately fired a bombardment of energy beams at Lucas as he approached forcing him to take cover beside the door leading into the stairwell.

"Gonna get some revenge for your brother, is that it kid? You gonna make me beg for my life?" the turian taunted while his cohorts continued to keep Lucas pinned down. "He did mention something about his family before he died. I can't really remember though, I was too damned euphoric after putting that bullet between his eyes. It's not every day you get to kill a Hunter."

It was all Lucas needed to hear and after erecting a barrier he pulled out his Advent shotgun and quickly dove from his cover position before firing a carnage blast that decimated the kinetic barriers of the proletarians who were barring his path to the turian. He then tossed a string of lift grenades that sent them all sailing into the air where they were promptly killed by several charged shots from his shotgun as the turian fled deeper into the stairwell. Lucas immediately resumed his chase and fired a series of phase disruptors that destroyed the staircase ahead of his quarry, preventing his escape.

"No more running." Lucas coldly announced while descending the steps and carefully approaching his target.

"I guess not." The turian mused before summoning his omni-tool and pressing it, triggering an explosion beneath Lucas that sent him flying backwards and colliding into a wall where his antagonist darted towards him using the jets in his armor.

He drew a pair of omni-blades during his advance in preparation for executing Lucas who quickly startled him by unleashing a shockwave. The impact knocked the turian over and sent him crashing onto the steps where Lucas immediately closed in and unleashed a vicious beating with his fists, eventually hitting his enemy so hard that he shattered his helmet, revealing his face.

"You…I know you, Vellus Eraslin? You're a SPECTRE! Son of a bitch!" Lucas furiously roared before grabbing the man by his throat, lifting him into the air and slamming him into the wall. "Is the Council responsible for this?! Did they order a fucking hit on my family?! Talk you piece of shit?!" he demanded while tightening his grip on the man's throat.

"Ah, the Council. Let me tell you a little something about the politicians. Sometimes their schemes benefit other parties too." Vellus choked while laughing. "Oh and kid, don't ever hesitate to kill a SPECTRE if you happen to have one cornered."

A split second later, Lucas found himself wounded by an omni-blade that missed his carotid artery by mere millimeters after Vellus attempted to murder him while his guard was down. His reflexes had saved him from a mortal wound but the resulting gash in his neck was still quite bloody and before he could recover, the SPECTRE had already fled back up the stairwell and tossed a flashbang grenade at him.

"Some other time, kid!" he loudly taunted before the explosive went off.

"VELLUS!" Lucas shouted in a blind rage while suffering from the disorienting effects of the grenade.

After recovering, he quickly bolted back up the steps and through the very door where they'd all previously entered as warning alarms began sounding across the entire facility.

"Damn it, what's going on now?!" Lucas raged while rushing down the hall. After making it back to the intersection, he caught sight of Vellus trying to retreat from the facility with another group of proletarians who were waiting for him.

"That was faster than I expected. I guess you've got me. Now all you have to do is fight through my friends here, take me down and ignore the controller who's planning to use this place to trigger a seismic cataclysm that'll wipe out half the cities on this planet. What's it gonna be kid?" Vellus jeered.

"That other guy…so that's what you bastards were up to. You were the distraction." Lucas quietly seethed. "Vellus, this isn't over. I WILL hunt you down and I don't care whose toes I have to step on to do it or what doors I have to kick in. Remember that."

"I'll keep my schedule open." Vellus mockingly replied before rushing off with his entourage.

After clinching his fists, Lucas quickly sped down the right hand path of the intersection. After running a few meters, he suddenly heard the sounds of gunfire before eventually stumbling across a fight between his men and a group of proletarians who were trying to prevent them from accessing a control room at the end of the hall. He immediately pulled out his Lumina assault rifle and modified the beam with a warp effect before opening fire on the creatures who hadn't been anticipating the combination. Before they could adjust their shields or gauntlets, Thorn and the rest of the vorcha added to the barrage with their own particle fire, tearing the opposition to shreds.

"Thorn, what are you guys doing here?" Lucas asked after putting his Lumina away.

"Tiger tell us to come help while he fight big heads outside." Thorn quickly explained.

"Julian, shit! Alright, Thorn you're with me. I want the rest of you to head outside and back Julian and the others up. GO!" Lucas ordered.

His men quickly obeyed while he and Thorn made their way inside the formerly guarded control room. "Thorn, what is this place?"

"Auxiliary controls for turbines. Big heads could do some big damage in here." Thorn cautiously informed him.

"It sounds like they already did." Lucas lamented as the alerts across the facility grew later and steam began to seep in from the vents lining the walls.

After making their way to a terminal in the center of the room, they quickly identified the perpetrator of the plant's recent troubles and opened fire with their Luminas. The intruder simply ignored them as his kinetic barrier shrugged off the blasts.

"Thorn, I'll deal with him. But as soon as he's away from that terminal, I want you to get to work on reversing whatever the hell he did. Understand?" Lucas commanded.

"Got it. Break him good, Big Chief Junior."

A moment later Lucas slammed into the controller with a biotic charge that was successful in not only destroying his enemy's kinetic barrier but also knocking him away from the terminal where he was working. He followed up his assault with a string of shots from his Lumina but they were promptly deflected when his foe created a triangular-shaped energy shield using his left hand gauntlet.

"So you're tougher than the other ones, good." Lucas eagerly stated.

" **I am the first among the controllers and second to the architect. I execute the Greaters' commands under the leadership of Augury. My designation is Regulator. 'Tougher' is a very poor means of describing my capabilities."**

His words seemed to pound inside Lucas's head. "Good, you've got an ego. That means it'll hurt more once I kick your ass. Nobody fucks with my family or my vorcha and you're about to learn that the hard way."

The Regulator appeared to be mildly agitated with Lucas' declaration and promptly opened fire with a series of highly destructive energy slugs from his right hand gauntlet. The hazards were easy enough to dodge but incredibly dangerous based on the severity of the damage that they were causing to the floor and surrounding area. After narrowly avoiding one of the shots by diving behind a holo-display of the Lunaga region that was being projected from a console near the entrance of the room, Lucas returned fire with a string of phase disruptors but instead of targeting his opponent directly, he aimed for the floor in front of the Regulator. The resulting explosions caused extensive damage to his adversary who retaliated by firing a small salvo of silver disks that attached themselves to Lucas' cover position before violently exploding, destroying the console and seriously wounding the young Hunter heir.

As Lucas struggled to stand in the aftermath, he found himself being bombarded with energy blasts from above as the Regulator soared above him using an unusual pair of jets that had sprouted from the back of his armor. While sprinting around the room to avoid the barrage, he once again modified his Lumina with a warp effect and returned fire. After hitting one of his foe's jet thrusters and sending him crashing to the floor, Lucas immediately nailed him with another biotic charge followed by a nova that his adversary absorbed using his gauntlets before releasing the energy into a blast wave that sent his young opponent crashing into a databank near the terminal where Thorn was furiously working to avert a catastrophe.

While Lucas was still recovering, the Regulator modified his right hand gauntlet and immediately began firing an energy salvo with homing properties. Lucas quickly reacted by getting to his feet and putting some distance between himself and Thorn while sprinting towards his adversary and increasing his muscle mass. As the volley of energy blasts homed in on him, he created a barrier while continuing the mad dash towards his enemy who was already preparing for the young Hunter's arrival by readying his energy shield. After being engulfed in a small explosion that destroyed his barrier when the homing beams finally found their mark, Lucas tossed every lift grenade remaining in his arsenal at the Regulator who instantly absorbed the resulting detonations with his gauntlets before attempting to do the same with a shockwave that Lucas sent at him.

But like many before him, the capacity of his gauntlets was exceeded by the attacks and after they exploded, Lucas closed in and extended an omni-blade from the barrel of his Advent shotgun after drawing it. He then stabbed the Regulator in the chest before lifting him in the air while skewering him with his weapon and tossed him across the room. Not eager to give the creature a chance to recover, Lucas then fired a charged shot from his Advent that destroyed his enemy's helmet, finally revealing his face.

"Dafuq?!" he coughed in between breaths after bearing witness to his foe's unmasked visage.

The Regulator's head resembled something out of his childhood science classes on arthropods and was covered in blue blood. The creature standing before him was hideous beyond words and also in a great deal of pain. Before Lucas could ponder just how ugly it was any further, it emitted a shriek that quickly floored him and Thorn as an excruciating pressure began forming inside their heads. After noticing that his nose had suddenly started bleeding, Lucas had officially had enough. As dazed and beaten down as he was, he somehow managed to get back on his feet and endure the bizarre extrasensory assault that was bombarding him at the moment. The Regulator noticed his rise and tried to intensify the attack but was promptly blasted by a colossal biotic flare that finally killed him.

Afterwards, Lucas dropped to the floor in exhaustion. A few minutes later, Thorn appeared above him with a proud and gleeful expression in his eyes. "Catastrophe averted my king. Nothing go boom today."

"You're the man, Thorn." Lucas wearily replied before affectionately fist bumping his engineer. At least the day had brought one piece of good news.

* * *

"Your reckless little ass shouldn't even be here!" Ray angrily shouted after demolishing a pair of proletarians with an electrified strike from his battle hammer.

The strange creatures were desperately attempting to stop his entourage from making their way to the Lunaga power plant's entrance and doing a good job of annoying him. He and his companions had only just arrived on Heshtok and it hadn't taken them long to meet up or discover where his brother and sister were thanks to encountering a few vorcha soldiers who'd been ordered to protect another geothermal plant elsewhere. What none of them could understand was why the strange creatures were there in the first place or where they'd come from. Well, almost none of them.

"My reckless little ass is the only one who has experience fighting these damn things, so you know…"

Jordan decided to finish his statement by making a rather crude gesture at his older brother before brutally executing another proletarian that had crossed his path using his monomolecular blade. "And remember they can absorb biotics so don't go tossing around any shockwaves like a lumbering dumbass. I know that might be hard for you but at least try."

"I think his quad finally dropped!" Wrandok laughed while joining his nephews in their rampage with his own battle hammer.

"I guess Cherish finally gave you some and now you think you're a man." Ray crudely taunted after flooring another alien hostile with a biotic strike from his hammer.

"They were getting awfully friendly in the med bay." Randall joked after executing a pair of hostiles himself with his Spectrum and ruffling Jordan's head.

"Shut up!" Jordan shouted in embarrassment as a trio of proletarians opened fire at him from the top of the slope that they were all traversing.

Before he could retaliate, all three suddenly fell to pieces quite literally as an attractive pair of twin teenage girls decloaked on their former position. "Jordy, you haven't defiled our friend have you?" Sasha teased.

His sisters' playful mocking was enough to finally drive him into a storm of angry, incomprehensible, gibberish and cursing that was only stopped when a mysterious figure in black and silver armor that was emblazoned with the symbol of a wolf quietly decloaked next to him. The stranger kept the visor on his helmet down but gently placed a hand on Jordan's shoulder as if reassuring him. He couldn't help but feel that something about the guy was familiar.

"Ghost Fang, right? What the hell are you doing down here?" Ray suspiciously asked after noticing the newcomer.

"He's been with us since we all met up at the barracks in the capital, you just didn't notice." Layla informed him.

"Then he should've said something." Ray irritably countered. "Assassins…"

Randall simply nodded a quick greeting to the enigmatic figure whom he knew better than most due to the fact that the young man was his former student.

"Eyes up whelps!" Wrandok barked as they all came closer to the entrance.

As they made their way closer, everyone immediately noticed the bodies of the defeated Blue Suns and Blood Pack mercenaries that Lucas killed earlier. "He really is the Beast of the Abyss." Wrandok proudly stated while examining the bodies.

"Lou did all this?!" Jordan asked in shock.

"Rain probably helped but, yeah, the bulk was probably his doing." Layla surmised.

"And after we specifically told him not to overdo it. Big brothers can be such a pain." Sasha fumed.

Before they could marvel at their older brother's handiwork any longer, the sounds of fighting inside the entrance quickly drew their attention. After bolting inside, pure mayhem met them. A strange alien craft was hovering above the area and depositing more of the strange creatures that they'd just fought during their trek to the facility. Olivia, her Amazons, Rain, Grace and Lucas' personal soldiers had formed a defensive circle in the center of the area. They could only assume that meant that someone was hurt and two of their siblings were conspicuously missing…

"Bastards! If Lou and Leon have a scratch on them-How about we finish what you started on Khar'shan!" Jordan shouted before disappearing in a blur after initiating a biotic charge into the fray.

"Reckless punk." Randall sighed before following him.

After everyone else followed and fought their way over, they all quickly noticed that Oliva was shouldering a somewhat delirious Julian.

"Liv, don't be afraid to lean on me. Don't be afraid to let me in…"

"What happened to this dipshit?" Ray immediately scoffed. "Actually, what the hell is he even doing here?"

"He's part of my crew, Ray. And don't call him names, I'm in no mood for your garbage right now." Olivia furious responded while continuing to shoulder Julian.

"Poor Juli, you had to use Red-Med on him, didn't you?" Sasha sadly inquired.

"Yeah, he got messed up pretty bad trying to be noble-Why are you all here?!" she suddenly shouted after realizing that nearly all of her siblings had convened outside of the defensive circle that she and her friends had formed around a very unpleasant sight. "Nevermind, just make sure you stay away from here. You hear me?" she seriously ordered them while struggling to hold up Julian.

"What's the big deal? Leon won't care if we see him with a few bruises and neither will Lou AKA Mr. Perfect. Plus I haven't seen either of them in a year and I just fought my way through armies of pirates and aliens with ginormous skulls just to get to you guys." Ray dismissively replied before sweeping his way past everyone. Given his height, it wasn't difficult.

"Ray, don't look! Please!" Grace frantically screamed.

"Grace, what-"

And that's when he saw it, an image that would haunt him and the rest of his family for the rest of their lives. One of his big brothers was lying dead next to his fiancé. His body covered in injuries, a single gunshot in his forehead. It took a moment for it all to sink in but the anguish was instant for the twins who immediately broke down at the sight.

"Shit!" Randall cursed in frustration. He'd gotten to know all of the Hunter kids fairly well over the years and even grown attached to them to a certain extent.

The entire sight brought Ghost Fang to his hands and knees. Fortunately, no one else had noticed other than Randall and he knew exactly why the young man was suffering so deeply.

"What happened?!" Wrandok furiously demanded. Everyone continued to remain silent while the younger girls sobbed. "Fine. Ray, Jordy, we're gonna ask him." he angrily declared while glaring up at Augury who'd been observing the entire scene from his floating platform. He'd now been joined by Vellus who was standing with the mysterious asari duo.

"I'm not asking shit!" Jordan roared while drawing his blade and struggling against everything to hold back his tears. No matter what, he couldn't allow himself to cry. It was an unspoken rule in the Hunter family. "I'm just gonna kill everything between me and that ugly bastard!"

"Did you do this?" Ray quietly asked as his anger began boiling over. He was already instinctively expanding his muscles while eyeing Augury and his associates.

"No, I did." Vellus announced while staring back at Ray in amusement.

" **He speaks the truth, though I did inflict some damage to the body myself. But I suggest you save your emotional outbursts. By now your other brother has likely fallen as well."**

Augury's assumption quickly proved false when Lucas suddenly appeared from within the geothermal plant while dragging the Regulator's battered remains alongside him as Thorn cheerfully flanked his other side. After reaching the center of the area, he casually tossed the body beneath Augury's floating platform.

"You forgot this." he coldly informed him.

He wasn't sure if he'd surprised, angered or upset the towering alien leader but he was certain that he'd touched a nerve of some sort based on what happened next. Augury finally descended himself while a second alien ship suddenly appeared and began depositing nothing but controllers, the more lethal versions of the so called arbiters. Chaos quickly ensued as a battle royal commenced. The hunter siblings and their companions began waging a desperate struggle against an enemy that not only outnumbered them but was also far more advanced than any they'd ever encountered. Despite the odds, they all managed to hold their own until Augury quickly floored everyone who wasn't an arbiter with a massive energy pulse from his right hand gauntlet.

" **I grow tired of this. Execute all of them and retrieve blood samples from the Hunters. Don't forget to collect one from that unusual soldier who serves them as well."**

As his army of proletarians and controllers moved in to carry out his orders, they were all suddenly bombarded from above by a Hyperion heavy weapon and several rockets that laid waste to a significant portion of their forces. Everyone in the battlefield immediately looked up to see a familiar family synthetic soaring over the area while carrying someone that they were all infinitely grateful to see.

"Dad!"

Every single Hunter child said it in unison, including the one in disguise, though no one else heard him. The remaining arbiters quickly opened fire but found their assault wasted as TED promptly dropped Mal who created a barrier on his way down and unleashed a nova after hitting the ground. The arbiters all attempted to absorb his onslaught but discovered their gauntlets had been overtaxed by the sheer enormity of the attack. With their kinetic barriers destroyed and their gauntlets malfunctioning, they quickly found themselves easy prey for the arrival of the other Terminus Wolves, the _original_ Terminus Wolves, who were storming the entrance while departing Canine Units and Kakliosaur mounts while opening fire on the alien creatures.

" **Too early, this confrontation was not anticipated."**

Augury attempted to unleash another energy pulse but had his gauntlet damaged by a warp laced precision particle beam from Mal's Lumina. The Mercenary King and the Architect eyed each other for a few seconds before Augury suddenly released a violent high intensity frequency that began affecting everyone present who wasn't one of his subordinates, almost everyone. Randall ignored the mental assault as usual and fired a biotic salvo that Augury struggled to nullify with only one functioning gauntlet while TED bombarded him with explosive particle rounds that destroyed what was left of his kinetic barrier. After staggering from the unexpected offensive, the giant found himself on the receiving end of a punch to the cranium. He once again found himself face to face with the Terminus Hunter, who was now looming over him.

"That was uncomfortable. Taya may have to meld with me and patch a few things up later. And my wife is the jealous type. I hope you're happy, asshole."

After staring back at him, Augury suddenly shot into the air using a pair of jets in his armor that sprouted from the back while his army of remaining underlings did the same. They were all retreating to their ships while Augury returned to his floating platform with Vellus and the two unnamed asari.

" **Lucas Hunter, we will meet again. Perhaps next time, you won't be hiding behind your father."**

With those words and one final look at his young adversary, Augury disappeared inside of his ship before flying off with the other vessel at a blindingly fast speed that left little hope for a pursuit. As Lucas observed the departure, he silently vowed that they would meet again. He'd see to it himself. He had officially made two extremely dangerous enemies and he wouldn't rest until they were both dead.

"It's always something in this galaxy. Good thing we came ahead of Ragnarok with a patrol division." Mal placidly stated while watching the arbiters' retreat. "Lou, are you okay? I'm sorry all this had to happen on your watch but you did a good job. Cartagena is safe and-"

"I FUCKED UP DAD!" Lucas suddenly yelled while avoiding his father's eyes.

"Lou? What's wrong?" Mal asked in confusion. "None of this is your fault. The pirates, the mercs, those things whatever they were, none of it-"

"Dad, you don't understand." Lucas cut in while choking slightly. "I-I-"

Then they both heard it-Screams, panicked shouts, Mason's cries of agony and Rika's unfathomable sorrow as they both held their daughter's lifeless body. And of course worst of all, Tess' hysterical shrieks.

"MAL! OUR BABY!"

"Tess? What-"

Up until that point, Malcolm Hunter believed he'd seen everything, including the very worst that the galaxy had to offer. But nothing that he'd faced or suffered before could ever prepare him for witnessing the sight of his son lying dead next to the woman he loved. He didn't say a word as he slowly walked over to his wife who was beyond hysterical, he ignored Virgo as he passed by her even though she couldn't begin to fathom how to ease the tortuous emotional wound that was now afflicting the man for whom she cared so deeply. He brushed by all of his other friends as well. Both Leo and Libra were speechless while holding Rain who was still worried about Lucas. After reaching Leon's body, Mal quickly dropped to his knees.

"Y-You were getting married, buddy. Your mother, Mason, Rika, we had everything planned and ready to go. I was gonna let you use my old tux…Tess had a veil for Keiko…Terra Nova, that was where your mother and I tied the knot. We wanted Tess' family to be able to see it, that's where they're buried, remember? Your middle name, it's the same as her father's…It's too early Leon…I'm not supposed to outlive you…"

In that moment, something inside Mal broke and he released a sound that could only be compared to that of a wounded beast from legend or a creature of myths from a bygone era whose suffering had long since been forgotten. The sound didn't just chill everyone's soul, it amplified the heartache that they were all experiencing at the moment. In spite of all the pain, he didn't shed a single tear and instead gently lifted his son's body into his arms before quietly returning to his feet. He'd lost one of his precious pups. The one who made him laugh, who was always there when he needed one the most, the one he could always just be himself around.

"Mal…"

More than anything, Taya wanted to say something, anything to ease his pain. She could sense how devastated he was and knew better than anyone how deeply the scars would remain in his psyche.

"We're going home." he announced in barely more than a whisper.

Without another word, he began walking off with Tess bawling at his side and the rest of their kids trailing closely behind them while sorting through their own grief. He'd lost one of his precious children and he wasn't planning to lose another.


	14. Chapter 14 Mourning and Morning

Chapter 14: Mourning and Morning

The Terminus Hunter's homecoming marked the return of stability across the Nemean Abyss and the rest of his territories across the Terminus Systems. The arrival of both the Grey and Ragnarok Fleets into the Kyzil System quickly put an end to the siege made by the various pirate groups and rival mercenary bands. The pirates had suffered severe losses and immediately blamed each other for the failure of their invasion before scurrying off to their respective territories in defeat. Meanwhile, the mercenaries followed suit and promptly withdrew to their own domains while fortifying their security. Mal's absence had provided them with an opportunity that they couldn't pass up, whether or not they were hoping to seize his holdings before his return or simply whittle away a portion of his influence while he was away, it was obvious that they'd hoped to do so before he could get back. His reappearance and the rumors that one of his children had died during the raid on Heshtok went a long way towards frightening them. He would want retribution and soon.

Despite the devastation and the losses to the vorcha fleets, overall destruction to the Terminus Wolves and their assets was surprisingly minimal considering what they'd been facing. Six of the eight vorcha fleets, though heavily damaged, were still intact and the soldiers who served in them had not only gained valuable combat experience but also a boost in their confidence and morale. They had fought against six of the most dangerous factions in the Terminus Systems and lived to brag about it. Heshtok itself had also suffered only moderate damage as a whole considering how intense the fighting on the surface had been. The populace was already beginning reconstruction efforts while the military did the same. The Kyzil System itself was now under the direct protection of the Terminus Wolves' Ragnarok and Grey Fleets and would remain so until the vorcha's naval forces could recover to full strength.

These facts however meant little to the people of Cartagena Station. One of their precious outlaw princes was dead. It was a fact that few could fathom let alone accept. Worst yet, the fallen Hunter had been a member of the 'Triple Threat,' a term of affection that the residents had used for years when referring to the Hunter Triplets. As if all that wasn't bad enough, his fiancé had also died-The eldest daughter of two senior Terminus Wolf members. The situation was heartbreaking and it didn't come as a surprise when Mal recalled all of his extended children to the station. Every superhuman or 'treasure' who was away had been summoned back to their home in order to pay their respects and to keep them safe while their leader planned his next move. Most of the Terminus Wolves both young and old had also returned in addition to the Fangs. The station hadn't played host to such a large number of soldiers since the final days of the war with the Trio. Mal had little to be grateful for at the moment but he was at least glad that most of his children had been within arm's reach and resided in areas where he had some measure of influence. It was going to be far more difficult to reach his eldest kids who were currently in Citadel Space and considering everything that had just happened, he was in no mood to talk with the family they were staying with.

"I can't believe this! Leon and Keiko?! Dead?!"

"Did it happen during the invasion?"

"I heard a SPECTRE was involved."

"You think the Council decided to make a move against us?"

"Why else would a SPECTRE be out here?"

"Ray killed one on Korlus. Zaeed was talking to Randall about it."

"Son of a-How many of those bastards are skulking around out here?!"

"Enough to cause trouble. Think about it, pirates and mercenaries decided to attack us at the same time. Do you really believe that was a coincidence?"

"There were some kinds of weird aliens too. Everyone's been talking about it. They tried to sabotage a geothermal plant on Heshtok but Lou stopped them."

"Poor Lou…I feel so bad for him and Liv. I mean, it's a tragedy for all of them but they were so close."

Lucas and his siblings ignored the whispers that were erupting everywhere. They knew they would have to deal with an endless stream of friends and well-wishers who would want to talk and offer their condolences but at the moment all they wanted was quiet and to be left alone. They were all standing around a massive pyre in the center of the largest square of the Hunter's Haven district. An important ritual was already underway as the Terminus Wolves, Fangs, treasures and a huge portion of the station gathered around the enormous fire. Everyone present was wearing black and had a solemn look as the King of Cartagena stood at the head of his family while staring into the flames.

"I failed you. Your Pop failed you. All I can do now is hope that my words and my thoughts reach you, wherever you are with Keiko."

After saying his piece, Mal carefully withdrew a small, folded piece of paper and gently dropped it into the pyre. He took a moment to watch it burn before Tess quietly joined his side and placed her own note into the flames. The husband and wife spent a minute watching her message burn as well before finally turning away to leave the memorial service. Slowly, their children and the crowds of mourners began following their example by approaching the pyre, saying a few words and dropping their own notes into the flames. It was a ceremony that Mal had begun decades earlier to commemorate the sacrifices of his vorcha friends during the final phase of the war. The pyre itself was very much a tribute to the man who bore the same name in the past. The practice was now utilized by many in order to honor those who died while in service to the Terminus Wolves and Fangs.

"Liv, Lucas…"

Julian found himself standing near the edge of a smaller crowd of grievers. He wasn't eager to entertain guests or visitors himself and there were many who'd already tried to get details from him about what had transpired on Heshtok. He was a loner to begin with and having to recount such a bitter experience to a bunch of well-meaning busybodies wasn't something he had any intention of doing.

"Rough time?" a friendly voice gently offered.

"You have no idea, Stan."

"Try not to let everyone get to you and give them a break if you can. This isn't easy for any of us. Right now we're all just looking for answers."

"I realize that but my only concern is seeing Liv and Lucas through this. And I've done a poor job of it so far." Julian lamented.

"What do you mean? From what I hear, you kicked some serious ass down there."

"I ended up getting wounded, seriously wounded. Liv had to rescue me while she was still getting over the shock of seeing Leon and Keiko in such appalling states. After applying Red-Med to my injury, she was forced to carry me around while fending off the enemy. I only added to her burdens…"

Stan took a moment to thoughtfully observe his young friend before smirking. "Liv? You uh, you never use nicknames."

"It was her request that I do so, why must everyone make a big deal out of this?" Julian irritably responded.

"Maybe because you never bothered with anyone else's playful moniker before now and I'm pretty sure you've only made an exception for her. You're more than welcome to start calling me rock star like everyone else." Stan cheerfully suggested.

"I think I'll decline and this is hardly the time for jokes."

"Julian, this is going to be hard for all of us. Right now we're just grieving but that won't last. There's a lot of anger too and plenty of our superhuman peers are getting riled up. We may not all have become soldiers but the ones who did are dangerous, you know that better than anyone." Stan seriously explained.

"I do and it isn't just the treasures. Wrandok's clan and the rest of the krogan, the vorcha, the other orphans that Mal saved who now serve in the Wolves and Fangs, everyone has become upset. To be honest, I find it difficult not to sympathize with their ire. Two Hunters have been attacked by SPECTRES and one didn't survive the encounter…Whether the Council's finest have had their minds seized or not, it will do little to dissuade the others from considering an all out war." Julian regretfully stated.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"If it does, I'm ready." a plucky interloper suddenly announced causing both men to look down. "Yeah, don't mind me. Just an ant walking among giants as usual." Rabbit quipped.

"I figured you'd be trying to look after Liv right now." Stan casually remarked.

"I want to but with everything that's happened, I just thought she could use some time alone." Rabbit quietly responded.

"You're wrong." Julian quickly countered, surprising his friends. "She's a strong woman and always has been but she's also good at hiding the fact that she needs help every now and then."

"Is that right?" Rabbit suspiciously asked while staring up at him. "I guess you got to know her pretty well since joining her outfit or is this based on childhood memories?"

"Both." Julian replied plainly before suddenly walking off.

"I can never figure that guy out. It's been the same way ever since we were kids from the moment we first met. He helped the triplets save my ass from catching a beat down and then acted like it was no big deal when I tried to thank him. Then there's the disappearing acts-Sheesh, he pulls them even more than I do and he's not even a spy." Rabbit stated in exasperation.

"I have a feeling he won't be disappearing anymore." Stan wisely surmised while observing his younger friend's departure.

Julian continued to make his way past crowds of mourners while contemplating where exactly the sorrow that everyone was feeling would take them. He was so consumed in thought that he almost didn't notice another familiar face struggling to get his attention.

"Julian!"

"Adriana?"

After catching a glimpse of his former crush with several others who were among the more popular treasures, he immediately began cursing himself for not simply ignoring her and continuing on his way.

"The goddesses have descended." he muttered before making is way over. "Hello Adriana, Shannon, Giselle." he politely greeted.

The three women standing before him were easily among the most beautiful in not only Cartagena but also quite possibly the galaxy itself. The term 'goddesses' had been bestowed on them many years earlier during their childhood by their enamored peers who still held them in high regard.

"This can't be little Julian!" Giselle exclaimed.

"He's certainly grown up." Shannon added while eyeing him.

"But he's still a gentlemen and therefore not your type." Adriana chastised.

"Or yours apparently." Shannon shot back.

"Was there something you needed, Adriana?" Julian cordially inquired while secretly hoping that her answer would be 'no' so that he could leave.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing. This entire situation caught us all by surprise-"

"I'm fine. I appreciate your concern but it isn't necessary. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Without any further delay, he resumed his trek through the crowds leaving behind a trio of perplexed young women in his wake.

"Was that Kid Bushido?" Dylan curiously inquired after wandering over from another gathering. "Damn, haven't seen him since the last meeting."

"I thought they called him the Crimson Tiger. It sounds a lot more impressive." Shannon mused.

"They do, that's my little nickname for him. I just thought it up a minute ago." Dylan casually responded.

"And you wonder why no one takes you seriously." Giselle stated wryly before glancing in Julian's direction. "You're out of your mind, Adriana. You actually turned _him_ down. Did you see him? He's almost as gorgeous as-"

"Me?" Dylan quipped.

"Time hasn't done much to quell your ego." Adriana scoffed. "And I politely declined but reserve the right to change my mind."

"I'm afraid it's a little late for that, especially now that I've seen him." Giselle teased.

"If and when Julian's travels ever take him near Noveria, perhaps I'll be slightly concerned." Adriana calmly responded.

"Isn't he a part of Liv's crew? He could be spoken for by now. Liv might even be seeing him herself." Shannon theorized.

"I doubt that." Dylan leisurely responded, garnering curious looks from his companions.

"And how would you know?" Adriana suspiciously inquired.

"I just do and it's not what you think." Dylan replied as if reading his ex's mind. "She's hung up on somebody else and no, it's not me."

"I wonder who?" Shannon pondered.

"Is it someone we know?" Adriana asked out of curiosity.

"Whether it is or isn't, I'm not saying anymore. This really isn't the time or place for gossip. We've got more serious things to discuss." Dylan sternly responded.

"You're right." Adriana agreed. "Well, you're a Terminus Wolf. Start talking. What's the situation?"

"You could guess half of it yourself, Adriana. The mercs have dug their own graves and everyone knows it. We've already got a few guys hunting down the Blood Pack on Tuchanka. They're the only ones who haven't gone into hiding and we're making sure to take advantage. The pirates are all cowering in their corners waiting for us to make a move and eventually we will. There's no debate about how or when we'll hit them, the problem is the SPECTRES and whether or not we should declare war on all of them."

"Dylan…are you serious?" Adriana whispered in shock.

"Yeah, I am. Mal's pissed and I mean REALLY pissed. I've never seen him like this. Finding out that Leon got killed by one made him angry but hearing about Ray getting attacked by another one on Korlus, that really pushed him over the edge. Wrandok's rallying everyone for a full-scale, galaxy wide purge and we all know what that would lead to. But the old man's got Mal's ear right now and most of the old Wolves are backing him. Mason and Rika…they want blood as badly as Mal. This might get pretty bad before long." Dylan explained in a grim tone.

"How could things have come to this?" Shannon anxiously pondered.

"Lots of reasons. I suppose I should start making preparations to liquidate all of our assets in Citadel and Alliance Space and have the funds transferred here or to Illium. I suggest you do the same." Giselle calmly stated while glancing at Adriana.

"Don't insult me. I've had war protocols in place to handle our finances for years now." Adriana coolly responded.

"At times like this, I really wish Vince were here." Dylan quietly lamented. "He'd be able to talk some sense into Mal and maybe put a stop to all of this before it goes too far."

"I warned him years ago." Adriana sighed.

"That exile order couldn't possibly hold up now that Mal's back." Shannon insisted.

"You're right, it doesn't. Mal went on a warpath as soon as he heard about it. He said Vince is welcome to come back anytime that he wants and if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with him. The problem is…well, all of this. This is a pretty lousy time to be dating someone who's that close to the Alliance and Citadel, even if it is Mal's daughter.

"Vince, you fool." Adriana quietly lamented.

* * *

"I'm going after them Dad and that's all there is to it!"

"You aren't going anywhere and that's not up for debate!"

An extremely heated exchange was currently unfolding in the Hunter household as Mal continued to argue with Lucas, who was determined to pursue Augury and the SPECTRES under his command. Their quarrel was quickly beginning to unnerve the rest of the family who were all witnessing the altercation in the living room.

"I hate to break this to you but I'm an adult now, not a kid!"

"Goddammit, you're my kid and you always will be!"

"Both of you, please. You shouldn't be doing this now." Tess pleaded through tears as Olivia held her. Both Layla and Sasha quickly approached the sofa where the pair was seated to offer their own support in easing their mother's sorrow.

"Are you happy? You've upset your mother and she damn sure doesn't need this right now!" Mal raged.

"Oh yeah, this is my fault! You're the one trying to keep us all locked up now because of your paranoia! Me, Liv, Nate, Ray, we're not children Dad!" Lucas shouted back before turning to storm off.

"Lou, get back here! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Mal roared before tossing a chair across the room in a fury, shattering a china set that was sitting on a nearby table and scaring his younger children.

Lucas promptly came to a stop before turning around and stomping back towards his father. "I'm hunting them down and you can't stop me."

"What did you say?" Mal asked while quivering with fury. He and his son were face to face and dangerously close to coming to blows.

"Dad, I'm with Lou on this. We-"

"SIT YOUR ASS DOWN, NOW!"

As formidable as Ray was, he still found that his legs buckled the moment his father directed a portion of his rage at him. Before he realized it, he'd fallen back into the recliner where he was previously sitting.

"I'm only gonna say this one more time. You aren't going anywhere but your room. Do you understand me?" Mal seethed.

"I don't live here anymore." Lucas coldly retorted.

"I don't care." Mal countered in an equally cold tone.

The two men continued to glare at each other until the unexpected arrival of the prodigal son in the family quickly dissolved the tension. "Dad, do we have any more cheesecake?"

Nate's casual stroll into the living room while wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers, a tank top and a half open house robe quickly put an end to the drama. The pair of oversized wooden spoons and the tub of ice cream that he was casually devouring only added to the gust of absurdity that his entrance had brought.

"You really are a lazy, worthless, good-for-nothing, bum." Ray derisively stated while glaring at his older brother.

"What? Whenever I'm stressed out or depressed, I get a sweet tooth." Nate replied defensively before quickly winking at his younger sisters who were quietly thanking him for his appearance.

"Did you check the freezer, Nate?" Mal sighed.

"Um, hello? I'm holding ice cream." Nate replied in a humorous fashion before sauntering across the living room and dropping into a seat next to Jordan who appeared to be thoroughly mystified by his cavalier attitude given the situation. "Want some Jordy?" he offered before handing Jordan a spoon.

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

Jordan proceeded to join him in eating the chocolate chip confection while everyone present observed. After a few moments, something amazing happened, something that no one who was present only a few minutes earlier could have foreseen. Tess started to laugh. It began with a small chuckle but the more she watched as her boys dug into their dessert, the giddier she became and eventually her laughter became infectious. Before long, everyone was laughing.

"Cake! There's a chocolate buttercream cake in the fridge, how about we all split it?" Mal suggested after his laughter finally subsided.

"I'll get it and some plates." Olivia offered. "Lou, can you help me?"

Her brother quickly obliged and together they made their way to the kitchen and began collecting dishes and silverware. "Lou, I've decided to stay here for a few more days. I don't expect you to stick around too but…I can't leave Mom alone right now. I can't leave any of them alone right now."

After a few moments of silence, Lucas quietly grabbed the cake from the refrigerator before sitting it on the kitchen table. "I'll call Rain and have her bring me some extra clothes." he finally announced.

Olivia didn't say anything and simply embraced her brother while smiling. After they separated, they noticed the doorbell ringing. They both made their way to the foyer where Ray was already in the middle of antagonizing their visitor.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I was hoping to see Liv and Lucas. I also wanted to greet Mal-"

"Julian! It's about time you came to visit!" Mal jovially greeted after brushing past Ray. He immediately wrapped the young man in a hug while smiling. "It's good to see you when you're not delirious. That Red-Med is a real bitch. Take it from somebody who knows." he joked. "So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to visit Liv and Lucas. I hope this isn't a bad time." Julian politely replied.

"Don't be ridiculous, we were just about to have some cake. Come on in." Mal stated in a friendly manner.

Ray continued to glare at him before eventually following his father back into the living room.

"Julian, it's good to see you." Lucas cheerfully stated before welcoming him with a somewhat exaggerated handshake that they'd been using since they were boys causing Olivia to roll her eyes while grinning slightly.

"Likewise, I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"No, like Dad said we were just about to have some cake. Why don't you join us?" Lucas pleasantly offered before making his way back towards the kitchen to grab an additional plate.

"Liv, how are things? How are they really?" Julian quietly inquired while gazing at Olivia.

"They're tense, really tense. Not ten minutes ago, Dad and Lou looked like they were going to hit each other. Mom's a wreck, Ray wants to murder someone, Jordy's bottling everything up, the twins are being the twins and Nate's here, for whatever that's worth." she quickly explained in desperation.

"And what about you?"

"What about me? I'm fine, the same as ever. I'm the Void-"

She immediately stopped herself after meeting his eyes. "It hurts." she confessed.

"Do you want to talk or cry?" Julian gently asked.

"Both, but I'm going to be staying with my parents for a few days and it would be selfish for me to impose on you. I know you prefer your own space."

"If it's alright with your parents, I wouldn't mind staying over for a few days myself. I can gather some clothes from my apartment in the morning. Is that okay with you?" Julian proposed.

"Yeah." Olivia quietly agreed. "But Julian, be careful where you undress. Sasha can be relentless." she joked.

"I'll try not to forget." he laughed before following her into the kitchen.

* * *

"…and then Nate shows up out of nowhere, starts lounging around, eating junk food and somehow keeping us all sane. It's weird but having him here, it makes things a little easier. Even though he's a shameless slacker, he's actually managing to keep us together." Olivia explained.

She and Julian were sitting across from each other at a small table in her family's lounge. It was quite late and without realizing it, she'd ended up talking at length about all the recent troubles that had been plaguing her family and eating away at her personally.

"I think Nathan may be wiser than you think." Julian surmised.

"I can't believe you just said that, especially after he stole Adriana away from you." Olivia replied with a hint of incredulity.

"As I said before, I've long since let that go. And I never said that I found him to be amiable myself. I'm simply admiring his ability to remove a portion of the stress that's been tormenting you." Julian earnestly explained.

"You do a better job of that yourself. I've been running my mouth for hours and you haven't complained even once. Why do you want me to rely on you so badly?"

"When we were younger, I spent nearly all of my time with Lucas and Leon. Lucas was the only person I felt I could relate to. He took his training seriously like I did and we made a good team. Leon was a bit more easygoing which I also enjoyed. Sometimes he would convince me to shirk our training with Libra in order to sneak out to the park where he'd perform impromptu concerts with his guitar. I always envied that about him, his ability to be so nonchalant but at the same time so reliable. He spent a lot of time trying to get me to 'come out of my shell' and be more sociable. I feel his efforts were wasted in the end. It wasn't until recently that I realized how little the time was that you and I actually spent together. I considered you a friend mostly because you happened to be around whenever Lucas and Leon were present. But the truth is I never made an effort to get to know you better. You were simply Olivia, my friends' sister and a friend by extension."

"You really know to make a girl feel special." Olivia replied wryly.

"Well, things did change as we got older. I noticed that you had feelings for Vincent for example. You had grown a great deal both physically and emotionally and also gotten accustomed to dealing with everything on your own, even to the detriment of your well-being. Liv, when Mal first asked me to join your crew and look out for you, I agreed to do it as a favor to him but I've decided to stay because that's what I want, to be there when you need someone to lean on." Julian explained sincerely. "I hope you don't object."

"I don't." Olivia softly responded before gently taking is hand.

* * *

"Whozzat?" Ray barked in a drunken slur while resting his head on the kitchen table. The entire area was littered with empty liquor bottles of different varieties that had done a superb job of inebriating their young drinker.

"Raiding Dad's liquor cabinet. Tsk, tsk, little bro. What would our parents think?" Nate calmly chided while strolling into the kitchen with a blanket.

"They…wouldn't think anything…I'm not special like…everybody else…like Lou, special, special, Lou. The perfect son. Or Liv, their precious Firebrand who can do no wrong…she can-No, I love Liv…it's not her fault…Fuck you Vince."

"Oh man, please tell me you didn't get into any ryncol and if you did, I hope it was at least a cooler." Nate chastised.

"D-D-Don't you lecture me! Y-Y-You show up outta nowhere after our brother dies…go to hell! Leon, he was like me…normal…not one of you favorites who get put up on pedestals…"

"Excuse me?!" Nate responded incredulously.

"You heard me…you're a fucking bum…you waste all your time partying in that shitty club of yours…spending all of Dad's credits and sleeping with whores…you're a disgrace but does Dad cut you off? Noooooooo…"

"What can I say? I've got a certain natural charm." Nate quipped.

"You…You don't understand anything…you don't know what we saw…Leon and Keiko…Goddammit!"

"I do know." Nate quietly responded before walking over to his brother and spreading the blanket over him.

"…at least you're here…you're a worthless bum…but you're here…Dad can't even reach Vince…he won't care anyway…neither of them will care…"

"Yeah they will. Probably more than you realize." Nate responded in a serious manner as his brother finally passed out. Afterwards, he hugged Ray's unconscious form while resting his head on top of his. "I love you Ray. Don't ever forget that."

* * *

"Jordy?" Layla called.

"What?"

"In a few hours, it'll be morning, official morning, breakfast time morning." she informed him while sitting on the floor a few meters away with her twin.

Jordan chose to ignore his sisters while continuing to strike a steel training dummy with a flurry of martial techniques inside the family's training room. He'd been practicing for hours after abandoning his sword routines when his parents berated him earlier for not being in bed.

"I'm not a baby." he repeatedly told himself while hitting the dummy.

"Why are the men in this family so stupid?" Sasha complained. "Crying won't make you any less of a man."

"I won't cry." Jordan vowed while continuing to pummel the dummy. "I already get enough crap for being the youngest."

"Then at least go to sleep." Layla sternly ordered.

"I'm fine!"

"Jordy, if you go to bed right now, we promise not to tease you for a week." Sasha offered.

Jordan once again ignored them and continued punching the dummy.

"A mu ren zhuang, I thought I was the only one who had one." a pleasant voice suddenly stated.

All three teens turned around to see Julian enter the room with Olivia.

"Jordy? What are you still doing up? What are any of you still doing up?" Olivia demanded.

" _We're_ keeping an eye on Jordy." Layla replied in annoyance. "What are _you_ still doing up with Julian?"

"Yeah, what?" Sasha added while eyeing them suspiciously.

"We came down here to spar for a bit." Olivia informed them.

" _Right_." the twins responded in unison.

"We had no idea you were so kinky. Is that what you're into, Juli?" Sasha teased.

While the twins laughed and Olivia fumed, Julian calmly made his way over to Jordan. "Your fists, let me see them."

Jordan hesitated for a moment before finally complying. Both of his fists were raw and quite bloody. All three of his sisters prepared to scold him but Julian made a motion for them to remain quiet.

"This isn't helping your technique." he calmly informed him. "Jordan, I think your fists have cried enough for today."

Jordan simply stared back at him before eventually conceding. "I can understand why you're Rika's best student."

"I'm not the best, Jordan. I'm simply the only one who never failed to master a martial art that she taught. I failed at failing." Julian joked causing Jordan to smile a little.

Afterwards, Jordan and the twins departed to finally head for their respective rooms to get some rest.

"You 'failed at failing' huh?" Olivia humorously reiterated.

"Indeed, shall I show you?" Julian proposed while readying his stance.

"Oh, you are so on!" Olivia eagerly responded while getting into her own stance.

For the first time since she'd returned home, she felt excited and slightly happy.

* * *

"How did I know you'd end up packing an extra bag for yourself and staying over?

"Because you love me more than words can express and we share a bond that spans beyond the cosmos and time itself in order to distort logic to our very whim." Rain joked before dropping their travel bags in Lucas' old room and making her way over to his side as he stood next to a window.

"Sounds about right." Lucas joked back. He then tenderly embraced the woman he loved and held her for several minutes. "Thanks for this Rain. I'm really starting to fall apart here. Dad and I got into it earlier, things got pretty heated. He's so worried about losing another one of us that he's overreacting. But I have to kill Augury and Vellus, it has to be me."

"You make it so hard to be your woman sometimes." Rain softly lamented. "But I understand. He was your brother and best friend."

"I've got my work cut out for me. I have to convince Dad, get a bigger crew, fight an army of arbiters and take on two other SPECTRES that Augury has working for him. It really will be do or die."

"You mean just do." Rain corrected him. "I mean it Lou, no dying. No leaving me behind."

"You really think I'd die before taking you on a proper vacation, one that doesn't get ruined by pirates?"

"I'm not laughing."

"Neither am I. Once this is all over, we're taking our vacation. That was part of my message to Leon. I told him I'd take you somewhere special one day and that we'd live every moment to the fullest for his and Keiko's sake. I'd never lie to my lady or my brother. Alright?"

"Good because I've gotten too used to having you around. I love you wolf."

"I love you more."

The couple exchanged a brief but tender kiss before staring outside Lucas' window. Cartagena was as dazzling and brilliant as ever and Lucas Hunter aimed to keep it that way.


	15. Chapter 15 Operation Hunter

Chapter 15: Operation Hunter

"How are you holding up, Mason?

"About as well as you, Boss."

The two old friends were currently sitting at the desk in Mal's study while waiting for the rest of the senior members of the Terminus Wolves and Fangs to arrive. A very important meeting was about to take place.

"How's the Amazon?"

"Broken, just broken. Every time I think she's feeling a little bit better, she ends up torturing herself by going into Leon's old room. I'm no better though. Whenever I see his guitar, I just…what the hell are we doing, Mason? What the hell am I doing? Busting my ass to save a galaxy I couldn't care less about while my kids are getting attacked by the dogs working for the politicians who run part of it. I swear, if the Leviathans weren't a threat to us, I'd just say 'fuck it' and let Shepard deal with the headaches." Mal wearily explained while sinking deeper into his chair.

"It was all a lot simpler back when we were just a ragtag bunch of mercs looking to make a few credits and watch each other's backs. The bigger you get, the bigger the problems…my ninja and I, we just want you to know that no matter what you decide, we'll have your back." Mason assured him.

"You already know what option I'm leaning towards, Mason. I'm not letting this one slide, especially with everything I just learned." Mal ominously stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Fox can fill you and everyone else in at the meeting. Let's go."

Without any further delay the two men got to their feet and departed the study. Several momentous decisions were about to be made.

* * *

"Half a dozen wushu styles, jujitsu, karate, boxing, swordsmanship-You're more obsessed than Lou. It's no wonder we hardly ever got to see each over the years." Olivia playfully joked while strolling with Julian down a hallway on one of the higher floors of her family's mansion.

"I wanted to be prepared for anything." Julian replied modestly before shrugging.

"You know, there's this really funny story about you that my mother likes to tell."

"Really? I wasn't aware."

"According to her, after you were chosen to join the Wolves, you completely bypassed her and Zaeed's advanced sniper training." Olivia informed him while grinning.

"Ah, that. I hardly think it's worth mentioning. You and Lucas did the same."

"Yeah but the Hunters always get a pass because we all spend a year training with Zaeed in the worst hellholes dotting the galaxy. You on the other hand just walked in and nailed every target in the training course with a headshot using a pistol of all things." Olivia explained while suppressing a laugh. "But the best part is what you said once you were done. 'When does the real test begin?' My mother still laughs about it and the way she describes Zaeed's face when you looked at him." she continued while chuckling. "How he was actually speechless. 'Go on, get out of here you showoff bastard!' I wish I could've been there to see it!" she finally finished after mimicking the old mercenary and then bursting into laughter.

Julian didn't respond and simply observed her while smiling. "It's good to see you laugh."

"It feels good too. Maybe I should consider getting a tiger as my next pet since I like having them around so much." she quietly mused while glancing at him.

A thoughtful silence passed as they continued their walk until they eventually stumbled across Lucas and Rain who were standing outside of a large conference room that had been closed.

"Lou, what's-"

"Shh! Dad's called a meeting." her brother whispered.

She instantly understood and together, the group of friends began carefully eavesdropping on the gathering that was taking place on the other side of the door.

"Fox, give them the details." Mal ordered.

"After tapping a few of our spies within the SPECTRES and comparing their intel with the information that we already know and a few tidbits that we were able to 'persuade' a few captured mercenaries and pirates to divulge, I believe we can form a fairly accurate picture of the current scenario. Several months ago, four SPECTRES were secretly dispatched to 2181 Despoina for unknown reasons. Two of those agents already happened to be in the Terminus Systems and one of them was arranging several deals with our rivals among the Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Pack. Apparently a human agent by the name of Miles Brennan was the mastermind behind that little scheme. He's the one that Ray killed on Korlus. Meanwhile his colleague, a turian known as Vellus Eraslin, was courting the various pirate bands in the area. Whether or not they were aware of each others' presence or plans remains unknown but what we do know is that they were both working to undermine our authority at the behest of someone on the Council. They laid the groundwork for their schemes quite well, well enough that they were able to proceed even after they disappeared on Despoina. Fast forward several months later and our two mystery men returned along with their missing asari colleagues, Glarivi Janera and Seyra D'rais and a small army of unknown alien creatures calling themselves arbiters who apparently serve the Leviathans. I think it's safe to assume they've all become thralls at this point but they're obviously still very dangerous." Fox explained.

"Are we sure about that? Lou told me about his fight with that Vellus bastard and it sounded like he was in his right frame of mind to me." Mal angrily responded. "And Ray, that piece of shit on Korlus almost killed him according to Zaeed and I'm not so eager to write it off as mind control."

"Well, the kid did take him out before we could have a proper chat." Zaeed stated wryly.

"Mal, they've gone after our babies. I don't fucking care why and I won't tolerate any excuses." Tess quietly seethed.

"Agreed, kill them. Kill every last one of them. If the Council objects, so be it. Let's see just how strong their resolve is with the prospect of an all out war against the Terminus Systems and the Nemean Abyss looming over them. My daughter…I won't let her death stand unanswered for." Rika coldly added.

"It seems the politicians picked a poor time to lose control of their agents." Zade lamented.

"Well that's just it, Gadget Man! They didn't! Those bastards were already out there screwing things up on the Council's orders!" Mason raged.

"Ever since they tried to hunt Mal down all those years ago, I knew we'd eventually have to kill them." Brix snarled.

"The quarian government has already assured me that they won't take sides if things get…unpleasant. No matter what, they'll remain neutral." Lira informed everyone.

"The geth have expressed similar sentiments. They only plan to mobilize if the Perseus Veil is threatened." Nox added.

"Half the krogan on Tuchanka would rather fight together with us than for the spineless weaklings on the Council. The idiots who joined the pirates are the only exception and now they're all dead." Tag chuckled darkly.

"Mal, I don't want to see a war come to pass, not another one, especially one where we're the instigators." Taya warned.

"US?! MY SON IS DEAD!" Mal roared, startling her and silencing the others. "I've done nothing but leave those assholes alone for the past two decades and still…"

"Maybe there's another way. A means of sending a message that they won't soon forget without provoking a war." Blaze suggested.

"There might be, a few of us have been discussing it." Jaylen calmly announced.

"Hope it's good." Lance seriously remarked.

"It is and the execution would require far less sacrifices on our part." Hildy serenely stated.

"It's a simple matter, really. We simply stick to targeting all of the Council's SPECTRES and neutralizing them." Ryla proposed in a dangerous tone.

"Oh is that all? Well, no biggie then." Gage sarcastically quipped.

"It's actually far simpler than you'd imagine. The most difficult part of the plan would be obtaining a full list of the Council's operatives." Vex placidly stated.

"Difficult but not impossible." Maura informed them.

"I don't see what could be so hard about it. Just have one of our spies in the SPECTRES nab us a copy." Sye casually suggested.

"The SPECTRES themselves aren't even aware of the full scope of their numbers, most don't even know each other." Libra explained.

"We could try some good old fashioned espionage." Randall proposed.

"That's precisely what we had in mind." Leo sternly stated.

"Mixed with a little brute force using a blunt object." Virgo added with a hint of disapproval.

"It is a rather…brutal stratagem." TED reluctantly agreed.

"Spare me your pathetic whining." Wrandok growled. "Mal, it's simple. We launch an attack against the Citadel Fleet and deploy a few boarding parties to head inside the station. They'll cause a little havoc while a few spies breach the Council's security and either hack their way to the list or hold the politicians hostage until they give it to us. After that, we track down all the SPECTRES and send their heads back to the Citadel."

"How exactly does that not instigate a war?" Taya furiously demanded.

"It doesn't really but it does guarantee that we kill all of the Council's agents." Jaylen admitted.

"And still provoke a war with the rest of the galaxy!" Taya shouted. "Mal, please consider this carefully. I know you're hurting right now but think about what you'll be unleashing and who you'll be alienating. The Shepards-"

"Didn't see fit to tell me about anything." Mal coldly finished before she could continue. "I'm not listening to Ethan's excuses, not his time. I'll make arrangements to get Angelica and Vince. I don't care if I have to drag them both back here myself, I'm not leaving two of my children in that cesspool of hypocrisy any longer than I have to."

"Why bother? The girl's a Shepard and the whelp turned his back on us. They deserve whatever-"

The sound of a loud crash and several items breaking immediately cut Wrandok's response off.

"NOT ANOTHER WORD OUT OF YOU OLD MAN!"

Mal's voice was once again resonating across the entire room and slightly shaking the door where his children and their companions were still eavesdropping.

"Angelica is my blood and always will be! Vince is my son and this will always be his home, understand!?"

"Unless they decide to turn on you. It's happened before, hasn't it? The girl already has your cub dancing to her every whim. Vince was a good pup but he's being stupid. You and I both know it." Wrandok continued, undeterred.

"Wrandok, my patience is just about at its limit right now." Mal quietly raged.

"As is mine." Virgo furiously interjected. "Mal, get our children. If anything happens to either of them once they arrive, I'll hold this contemptible fool personally responsible."

A tense silence followed Virgo's declaration before Mal finally broke it. "How soon can we move?"

"NO!"

The shout had escaped Lucas' mouth before he realized it and within moments he was storming into the conference room with his sister and companions close behind him. "Dad, you can't do this!"

"Lou, we're in a meeting."

"Yeah, I noticed. You're also about to do something idiotic and dangerous. And I won't let you." Lucas sternly countered.

Every eye in the conference room was now fixed on him. He had the full attention of the original members of the Terminus Wolves and the senior members of the Fangs. They were his aunts, uncles, teachers and friends but even so, he had to find a way to dissuade them and stop a possible catastrophe before it could start.

"Dad, Mom, everyone, just listen. I know you're all angry right now and hurting. I know because I am too. Leon was my brother, my best friend and part of my soul. Keiko was like another sister to me and always there whenever I needed some advice if I screwed something up with Rain. I want revenge for both of them, the same as you. But I also want to do it the right way and hit the right bastards. We know who attacked us, we know why and we know who the puppet masters are. So let's keep our eyes on the real targets." Lucas fervently explained before turning to face his father. "That's what you always taught us."

The room remained silent for a few moments as Lucas' words sank in. "How do you propose we handle this, Lou?" Mal finally asked after slowly making his way over. "How would you handle it?"

"Dad…I'm no tactical genius or battlemaster but I do know one thing-SPECTRES are good at what they do and sometimes you need to approach a situation with a scalpel, not a chainsaw. We need to deal with what's left of the pirates and the mercenaries. We also need to track down Augury, his flunkies and the rogue SPECTRES. The pirates are probably the best lead based on how the arbiters used them as camouflage." Lucas explained.

"And? Just tell me specifically what you're suggesting." Mal prodded.

"I'm not suggesting, I'm asking. I'm asking you to trust me. Trust me to handle the pirates, mercs and arbiters. Trust me to avenge Leon. Trust me to be _your_ SPECTRE and to come home and rule Cartagena once I'm finished." Lucas resolutely stated while staring back at his father, who was slightly taken aback by his boldness.

Mal wasn't the only one who'd been surprised by Lucas' audacious declaration. The entire conference room full of Wolves and Fangs was roused into murmuring.

"Lucas, do you realize what you're rushing towards? The enormity of the task that you're demanding we hand you?" Leo cautiously inquired while observing the young man he'd personally helped train in the past.

"He knows Dad. We both do and that's why I'll be going with him." Rain adamantly stated while taking her boyfriend's hand.

"Rain, this is serious!" Libra exclaimed.

"So are my feelings." her daughter calmly countered.

"I'm going too." Olivia announced. "Lou's gonna need me and my Amazons."

"Liv, no!" Tess pleaded. The thought of two of her children casting themselves into danger so soon after losing another was almost too much for her to bear.

"I'll be joining them as well." Julian calmly added. "I do happen to be a member of the Amazons and more importantly, I plan to stand beside Liv in whatever struggles she faces."

"Julian, don't do this to me. As your teacher, I've watched you grow so much over the years…you and Jordy…I've already lost a daughter…don't do this to me." Rika quietly begged in between tears.

"Rika, I'm sorry. But I've always known that the path I'd walk would lead me through the worst roads imaginable. You were indeed a fantastic teacher. So please have faith in your pupil's skills, the skills you helped to cultivate. And trust that I'll punish the injustices that Keiko and Leon suffered." Julian vowed.

As Mal looked into the determined young faces standing before him, he couldn't help but feel proud but also slightly ashamed. His son had been the one to talk some sense into him and even offered to carry out a plan that should have been the first one he considered himself.

"There comes a time when every king should step down…" he sighed. "Any objections?" he loudly inquired while addressing the room at large. Everyone remained silent while nodding in Lucas' direction and offering their support. "You really aren't my little man anymore, are you?" Mal sadly mused before embracing his son. "We'll do it your way, Lou. You have your father's word. Just give me a few days to get what you'll need together."

"Dad, thanks."

* * *

Organizing what Lucas would require ended up taking slightly longer than a few days but the final results were well worth the wait in his opinion. The first evidence of this assumption were made clear a week later when he and his father entered the secret sanctuary beneath the family's armory. It had been years since Lucas had visited the place but it remained exactly the same as when he previously visited. It still resembled a museum dedicated to the Terminus Wolves, was still decorated with memorabilia and display cases that held their most treasured artifacts and still gave him a feeling of awe whenever he walked the halls. After reaching the very same spot where his father had brought him years earlier in order to present him with a gift, he carefully watched as Mal opened a secret passage that led behind the vacant display case where his old Terminus Assault Armor once rested.

After quietly traversing a narrow passageway, they eventually reached an enormous chamber that housed several more cases, each holding a unique set of combat armor. Mal continued leading his son forward to the display that was front and center of all the others. It was holding a black and gold set of gear that was emblazoned with a unique variation of the signature wolf symbol that all Terminus Wolves armaments possessed. The gold wolf adorning the chest plate was larger and more menacing looking than usual with a rather detailed mane that blended with the aura of energy at its back.

"This one's yours. I wasn't planning to give these out just yet but you guys are gonna need them. The Nemean King Armor. It boosts the power of kinetic and biotic barriers, has an onboard VI that monitors the wearer's physical condition and automatically treats injuries as needed with either medi-gel or red-med depending on the severity. It's also got a microframe computer that regulates power output from omni-tools and biotics. It'll give a nice boost to tech and biotic attacks, not that you use the tech garbage anyway. You're too much like me." Mal humorously explained. "It'll ease the stress from using your biotics too and make it harder to wear yourself out. All and all, it should do a good job of keeping you safe."

"Dad, this is incredible. Are they all this advanced?" Lucas asked in awe while examining the other armors.

His eyes were already lingering on a pair that was sitting side by side next to his. They were both red and black but donning different wolf iterations. One was wrapped in an intricately designed dragon's coil while the other featured a wolf and tiger circling a sword. It wasn't difficult to guess who they were for.

"Liv and Julian are gonna love these."

"Well, I hope so. Aside from the designs, they all have the same features. The Nemean Dragon and the Riser Armor should serve those two well." Mal casually continued. "Everyone else who joins you will get the latest in our Hellhound series. And if anyone decides to mouth off about Julian getting a specialized set, just tell them that it's because his old gear got wrecked on Heshtok and this is an early birthday gift from me to replace it."

Lucas wasn't sure how well that explanation would go over with potential complainers but at that point, everyone knew that his father had a few favorites among the treasures and that Julian was one of them.

"Leo and Libra are giving Rain something based on one of their own designs, so don't worry about her." Mal continued while glancing around. "It won't be long before I have to finish the rest up and hand them out. Jordy and and your sisters are growing up so fast." he quietly lamented. "Well, let's get out of here. I still have to show you your new ship."

Less than an hour later, the duo found themselves inside of a sealed off docking bay that held something that once again stunned Lucas. A cruiser, a large, jet black cruiser that was emblazoned with the same symbol that was adorning his new combat armor.

"I know you were probably expecting a frigate for mobility but Lou…You won't just be scouting out enemy positions or performing reconnaissance. You'll be hunting and facing some serious opposition. The pirates have lost their dreadnoughts but they aren't helpless. They still have enough of their own cruisers and fighters to cause problems for you. I originally planned to have this ship join the Ragnarok Fleet but the circumstances have changed and you'll need it more than they do. It's actually the successor of the second ship I ever owned but a lot bigger-The Fenrir II. It's equipped with all the usual state of the art armaments-thanix cannons, prototype multicore shielding, silaris armor plating-"

"Hang on, Dad you coated this thing in silaris?! A cruiser?! How much did that cost?!" Lucas asked indignantly.

"You'd be surprised how much you can cut costs when you provide your own materials." Mal casually informed him. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, a quantum entanglement communicator so we can stay in touch no matter where you are, a stealth system, near-ultraviolet frequency lasers for the GARDIAN system, and a unique form of cyber warfare that I'll let you discover on your own once you're aboard." he explained before chuckling a little. "You'll also have a squadron of six frigates under your command that'll be coming along. They're all equipped with the same specs as the Apex, so don't worry about them holding you back."

"Seven ships…I'll be in command of seven ships." Lucas quietly pondered.

"Lou, you might not encounter a fleet but it'll still be bad. The pirates have a lot left in their reserves and those arbiter things, there's no telling what they've got up their claws. I want you to concentrate on dealing with what's left of the Batarian raiders, the Forgotten, the Yahg Marauders and of course our new alien friends who are working for the Leviathans. You'll also have to take out the SPECTRES that Augury has under his control. I'll handle the mercenaries myself. I'm leaving the hard jobs for you but I know you're ready." Mal earnestly stated. "I've already assigned the essential personnel for all the ships but any additional people you take, your crew, that's for you to decide. Liv will be acting as your second-in-command and I know Rain and Julian are coming along but, uh, well word kinda got out about what you're planning and now you've got a flood of volunteers."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked in confusion.

"You'll see. Come on, I still have to officially turn everything over to you. I'll keep running things while you're gone but only as your administrator. You're the boss now Lou and I've made sure that everyone knows it." Mal explained.

The full measure of what his father was handing him still hadn't sunk in yet when they both arrived in the center of the Hunter Haven district of Cartagena where a small stage was awaiting them and a massive crowds of spectators. It had just occurred to him that he was going to have to make some sort of speech and he was terrible at giving speeches. As they both made their way towards the stage they passed by treasures, friends, family, fellow Wolves, Fangs and even merchants from the shopping districts and other business owners. The area hadn't been so packed since the memorial service. After reaching the stage, Mal immediately began addressing the crowds.

"The last few weeks have been rough and painful. I don't think I need to tell you all why. I wish I could say things were gonna get easier but chances are, they aren't. But there is one bright spot, one thing we can all celebrate today. We have a new leader and he's a far better man than his father. Lou, take a bow." Mal announced, triggering a tumultuous applause.

After taking few steps forward and peering into the faces of everyone he'd be responsible for leading and protecting in the future, Lucas felt slightly less anxious. "H-Hey." he nervously began before clearing his throat. "Damn it, I don't know what Dad wants me to say and I don't know what you're expecting to hear." he honestly stated. "So I'll just stick to the facts. My brother is dead, killed by a SPECTRE who's in league with an alien mastermind that's working for the Leviathans. That's the truth and it hurts, it hurts like hell. But here's another truth. I'm gonna hunt the bastards down and wipe out what's left of the pirates that they manipulated and hid behind. I'm gonna kick the ass of every arbiter that gets in my way and I'm gonna make sure that every place the Terminus Wolves call home is safe. Safe from pirates, rival mercs, Leviathans and SPECTRES! And anyone who has a problem with that can take it up with the Beast of the Abyss, the new Mercenary King of Cartagena!" he roared causing the crowds to grow ecstatic.

"And he said he was no good at speeches." Mal chuckled from the background.

* * *

"Alright, I've made my decision. I'm taking Rain, Liv, her Amazons, Julian, Thorn and the rest of my boys, Grace-"

"Don't forget about me!" Rabbit shouted.

"What?! Since when do you volunteer for ship details?" Lucas asked in confusion.

"I'm tired of nosing around Illium. I need a change of pace." Rabbit cheerfully offered. "And you'll need a good saboteur and thief on hand."

The scene inside the foyer and living room of the Hunter mansion was complete chaos as a flood of superhumans, ordinary humans, krogan, vorcha, asari, and turians of every conceivable discipline gathered around Lucas in an attempt to join his operation. Most were childhood friends who were eager to help avenge his brother's death, others were older treasures who wanted to provide guidance and the whole situation was beginning to give him a headache.

"Make room for me too." Ray suddenly announced after pushing past everyone with a small group of battle hardened krogan and humans.

"Ray? Are you serious?"

"Don't look so surprised. Somebody has to be there to take over if you screw up and if anybody is taking down that Augury bastard and his turian bitch, it's gonna be me." Ray confidently declared.

"Ray, this isn't a game. Lives are at stake." Olivia warned him.

"You should listen to your sister. A haphazard decision made now could cost you a great deal in the future." Julian concurred.

"Was I talking to you?!" Ray snarled while glaring at Julian who calmly returned the stare.

"Ray, stop!" Grace shouted.

The tension was quickly broken by the convenient arrival of the always comical prodigal Hunter son. "Am I too late?!" Nate suddenly bellowed while dragging a suitcase down the steps that led to the higher floors of the house.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Ray grumbled.

"Good, you guys haven't left yet. I'm coming along too." Nate proudly announced.

"Are you high in addition to being stupid?" Ray angrily scoffed. "What good will you be?"

"Well, I am still the best shot in the family. I also know a few card tricks, some really good jokes, I can act as the ship's councilor for any distressed young ladies-"

"Leave his ass Lou! We do NOT need this right now." Ray furiously demanded.

"Pardon me but is there where recruits for Operation Hunter are gathering? Jordan advised me to drop by and-"

"What the hell is this-A Yahg?! Are you serious?!" Ray shouted indignantly as the towering newcomer politely pushed his way through the crowd.

"Garr, right? Jordy told me about you. I'd be happy to have you aboard if you're willing." Lucas politely stated after welcoming the friendly giant.

"Jordan told me a great deal about you too. He holds you in very high esteem and I'll gladly join you. I'm sure my knowledge about the marauders will come in handy." Garr pleasantly responded.

"Lou, are you outta your goddamn mind?! He's a _yahg_!" Ray raged.

"I know what he is Ray. Now I've got a question for you. Do you know who I am? Because if you don't, then you'd better check around. I haven't agreed to take you anywhere yet and you're already bitching left and right. I'm in command here, so I suggest you shut up and deal with it. Question me or my decisions again and we're gonna have a problem, understand?"

The entire room instantly grew silent as the two brothers eyed each other. Each was as formidable as the other and neither was backing down.

"My special edition Fornax mags! I think I forgot to pack them!" Nate suddenly shouted in dismay before promptly opening his suitcase and rummaging around. "Oh, nevermind. They're right here. Phew! That was a close one."

Laughter quickly replaced the tension and his brothers slowly backed away from each other but not before exchanging mutually hostile glances.

"Lucas, I think you've gathered a sufficient number of additional crew members. I realize that we'll be utilizing a cruiser but we should still be careful about how many people we bring. We also have to acquaint ourselves with the bridge, medical and engineering staff as well as the other essential personnel. We should greet the crews of the frigates who will be accompanying us too." Julian suggested.

"Good point, we've officially got our team. Everybody else, wait for the good news!" Lucas shouted.

It took almost an hour for everyone to finally clear out and once they did, Lucas found himself standing in his family's living room observing his new squad as they all got acquainted.

"Not a bad looking bunch if I do say so myself." Nate quipped after approaching.

"So, Ghost Fang decided to tag along. How exactly are you planning to pull that one off?" Lucas whispered.

Nate was momentarily surprised by his older brother's insight into his secret identity but quickly recovered. "He'll be listed in the crew manifest and be on hand in case you need anything bloody carried out." he explained. "So how long have you known?"

"Long enough Nate. I'm guessing no one else knows outside of Mom, Dad and our adorable little sisters." Lucas surmised.

"And a few high level Shadow Fangs like Fox and Rabbit. Randall knows too but that goes without saying. He was my mentor after all." Nate informed him.

"Why the secrecy? The rest of the family thinks you're a wastrel." Lucas inquired.

"It's just better this way. Trust me." Nate assured him. "So, I guess Julian's here to stay." he added while observing the young warrior who was at that moment engaged in conversation with Garr and his older sister.

"Yeah, I think he'll stick around this time." Lucas agreed while watching them himself.

"I can't say that I'm surprised by the attention that I've received since arriving here but I had hoped that a few others outside of Jordan and his friends would prove to be more amicable." Garr sadly lamented.

"Ignore the idiots, Garr. You can hang with me and my girls." Olivia casually offered.

"I'm accustomed to solitude myself. You're more than welcome to join me during mealtimes and such. I may not be very good company but I can at least offer a bit of courtesy." Julian politely added.

"Thank you, both of you. I appreciate your kindness. Jordan has a fine family." Garr responded warmly.

"Yes, most of them are quite pleasant to be around but there are exceptions…" Julian calmly stated as Ray made his way over.

"Two things, first, tell the yahg to stay out of my way if he knows what's good for him. Second, I want you to stay away from my sister." Ray demanded while staring down Julian who wasn't the least bit intimidated. He was every bit as imposing as his would-be bully.

"Ray!" Olivia shouted in outrage.

"Liv, it's alright." Julian mildly interjected. "Raymond, this ill-mannered disposition of yours is not only impolite, it's also immature. You're only serving to prove how childish you are."

"How would you like to have this child beat your ass down in the middle of his parents' living room?" Ray threatened while moving in closer.

"That's it! Ray, leave us alone right now! I mean it!" Olivia raged, causing him to back off.

"Raymond, before you go, I'd like you to know that I have no intention of distancing myself from Liv unless she asks me to. So I suggest you get accustomed to seeing me." Julian coolly informed him causing the irate teen to grow even more livid before stomping off.

"I'm sorry about that Julian and you too, Garr."

"As I said before, it's fine Liv. Someday Raymond will have to be taught a lesson and I may have to be the one who teaches it." Julian said in a serious tone.

"What a thoroughly disagreeable person. I find it hard to believe that he's actually related to Jordan." Garr commented in shock while witnessing Ray's departure.

"Why did you do that?!" Grace angrily demanded once Ray had returned.

"Because Liv has a poor track record when it comes to picking guys." Ray responded while continuing to glare across the room at Julian.

"Is this about Vince? I'll admit that was…misguided on her part but-"

"This goes deeper than just Vince." Ray seriously interjected. "Vince was just the beginning. We had to clean up a lot of shit after he broke her heart."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, just trust me when I say I'm looking out for her." Ray insisted.

"Quite the crew we've got." Rain joked after joining Lucas and Nate.

"Yeah, the best." Lucas sighed while shaking his head. Operation Hunter was officially off to a rocky start.


	16. Chapter 16 Welcome Aboard

Chapter 16: Welcome Aboard

"Well, here we are." Lucas pleasantly announced while strolling across the bridge of his new ship.

He and his friends had just departed Cartagena Station after several lengthy and emotional goodbyes with their friends and family. All of the senior Terminus Wolves had come to see them off and wish them well in their upcoming missions. It had been a long time coming but the elder mercenaries were finally acknowledging their younger counterparts as equals and capable of shouldering the responsibility that they had been carrying for decades.

"We've got a good staff based on what I've seen so far and the crews manning the frigates are pretty experienced. Dad really did get us the best." Olivia cheerfully stated after the group greeted another overly eager vorcha member of the bridge staff.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure they're all really great. Personally though, I think we could do with a few more pretty faces to brighten the atmosphere." Nate nonchalantly added.

"Why? Why did we bring you?" Ray asked in exasperation.

"Because I'm the life of the party little brother. Rabbit, hit me with a beat." Nate humorously commanded. His friend quickly complied and began beat boxing while he bobbed his head to the rhythm. "Fourth born Hunter hanging with his kin, ready to fight aliens and slap some skins-"

"Lou, I'm gonna kill him. I'm seriously gonna kill him." Ray irritably interrupted.

"I'm might help based on that awful performance. That was terrible, you know that right? " Lucas joked.

"So my freestyle needs work, sue me." Nate casually replied.

As the group continued their tour, they eventually reached the cockpit where Grace was already seated and familiarizing herself with the controls.

"How's it looking Grace? Do you think you can handle this thing? I know it's a big change from the Ravens and Frigates you're used to piloting." Lucas curious inquired.

"It's not that different and I do have prior experience with larger ships. After I completed my flight training, Mal actually let me pilot the Anubis for a little while. We had so much fun that day." Grace fondly reminisced.

"H-He what?!" Ray spluttered.

"Oh relax. It was just around the station. He even promised to give me command of my own dreadnought someday if I wanted." Grace explained brightly.

"Crap like that is why we all get labeled as 'golden kids' and favorites." Rabbit sighed. "Which is fine, I've got no problem being one of Top Dog's best and brightest but me not being a superhuman does tend to annoy a few people."

"I doubt your plight would improve much even if you were. I've had my own run-ins over the years with a few envious colleagues. However, they quickly learned to stifle their jealousy." Julian calmly explained.

"Yeah, I'll bet. Anybody stupid enough to pick a fight with you deserves whatever ass kicking you dish out." Rabbit quipped causing Ray to scowl at him slightly.

"Grace, nobody gave you a hard time while I was away, did they?" Ray asked in concern.

"I've been fine Ray. I was with Lou, remember? Everyone who follows him is nice and the treasures all respect him. I couldn't have been in safer hands." Grace happily replied.

Ray quickly bent over to kiss her before straightening up and facing his older brother. "Thanks." he muttered.

"She may be your lady Ray, but she also happens to be my friend and I always look out for my friends. Besides, Grace is a damned good pilot and logistics officer. I can't tell you how many times we would've been lost without her." Lucas explained.

"I'm still trying to figure out what she sees in a muscle head like you." Olivia joked causing several of the others to laugh.

"What about Lou? And this fake ass samurai? They're both just as big as me and I don't here you getting on their cases." Ray scoffed.

"Lou happens to have a brain that he actually uses and Julian is cool, levelheaded, smart, resourceful, sweet-"

"Whoa, sis. That was a few too many compliments and one didn't have anything to do with combat expertise." Nate quipped while Rabbit stared at the pair suspiciously.

"I was just being honest." Olivia quickly responded with a hint of embarrassment after meeting Julian's eyes.

"So cute." Rain whispered while placing an arm around her and pinching her cheek.

"Um, Grace? What's the deal with the cyber warfare thing Dad mentioned? Is it a variation of Zade's sensor disruption software? I thought we couldn't integrate that stuff into anything larger than a frigate." Lucas inquired in an effort to divert the attention away from his sister and her mounting embarrassment.

"That's…well, it's a little hard to explain. I think it would be better if I just showed you or more specifically, introduced you." Grace nervously responded. A moment later, she gently tapped a strange terminal that was positioned beside her. "Come on, don't be shy." she whispered encouragingly.

In response to her coaxing, a large blue circle suddenly appeared followed by two smaller ones that dangled beneath it on each side. The larger circle then transformed into a smiley face while the smaller ones became hands. The newly formed image quickly scanned everyone present before beaming and bouncing around in excitement. But it quickly calmed itself after apparently realizing what it had done.

"Greetings, I'm ACE or if you'd prefer, Advanced Cyberwarfare Executioner. I'm an advanced VI program that's been tasked with handling all matters involving electronic warfare. Pleased to meet you." the smiley face exuberantly explained.

His audience remained silent for several seconds while staring back at him.

"VI? You wanna rethink that one buddy? We aren't all as slow-witted as my younger brother here." Nate joked causing Ray to glare at him.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm a simple VI of remarkable design but a VI nonetheless." ACE insisted.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I AM."

"ARE NOT!"

"AM TOO!"

"Nate, stop it." Lucas interrupted while smirking a little. "ACE, I can understand your caution but we're all friends here and you wouldn't be the first AI to join the Terminus Wolves. I am curious about where you came from though. Did one of our tech guys create you?"

"N-No. I was born, the same as you. I happen to have parents too, you know." ACE replied proudly.

"And by 'parents' you mean…"

"A mother and father of course."

"No way. Lou, you know what this means, don't you?" Nate gleefully stated while smiling.

"Yeah but how do you think it happened?" Lucas pondered.

"Do you think Dad gave his consent?" Olivia mused.

"He would've had to and he obviously accepted the results of the union into the Wolves." Rain casually responded.

"Uh, hi. Stupid people present, remember?" Rabbit humorously interjected. "What exactly are you guys talking about?"

"ACE is claiming that he has parents, actual parents who are responsible for bringing him into existence. Right pal?" Lucas pleasantly stated while glancing at the newly revealed AI.

"That's correct."

"Now, we all know that there are only two confirmed autonomous AIs in this entire galaxy who aren't part of a collective and one used to babysit all of us." Lucas continued.

"Wait? Lou, are you saying-"

"That TED cyber smashed that Alliance synthetic?" Nate crudely finished before Ray could continue his inquiry. "Hell yeah that's what we're saying. I can't believe he hid this from us!"

"Charming as always." Rain replied in disdain. "ACE, would you be kind enough to explain how exactly you came into being?" she gently asked.

"Well, alright. I was born from the desire of two sentient synthetic beings wanting to leave behind progenies should either of them ever cease to exist. Both were capable of reproducing without the assistance of a second party but they happened to admire each other and so they agreed to merge their programming and create offspring that was based on both of their design architectures. After relaying their wishes to a select group of friends on both sides that included the Terminus Hunter and Captain David Shepard, a rendezvous location in a neutral part of space was agreed upon where they could-"

"Get it on?" Nate once again interrupted before laughing. "I can't believe this! Dad! Dad was in on it! He actually helped TED get la-"

"Shut up!" Olivia fumed while punching him in the arm. "ACE, continue."

"The location in question allowed them to temporarily join together and merge their coding processes while also meticulously forming the basis for creation of several blue boxes. I was the second result of their unions." ACE proudly explained.

" _Unions_?!" Nate spluttered. "How many times did they-"

"NATE!"

The entire group had shouted this time and instantly silenced him. They were all quite eager to hear more of ACE's origins.

"So, you actually have siblings? Where are they right now?" Lucas asked.

"My older sister is currently residing with our mother in Alliance Space. It's my understanding that the leaders of that part of the galaxy weren't very pleased to discover her birth…fortunately, Admiral Shepard is a good friend of my mother's and was able to protect my sister from harm and provide her with asylum within the Alliance. My younger brother decided to live among the geth in the Perseus Veil. He assumed it would be the safest place to inhabit after learning about the galaxy's history with synthetic life forms and Citadel regulations. My younger sister lives on Cartagena Station and shares my love of this region of space. Lawless but free, much more satisfying in my opinion." ACE explained.

"Why haven't we ever met?" Olivia curiously inquired. "TED practically helped raise every kid on Cartagena and he was one of our unofficial nannies for years. Why didn't he mention you or your siblings?"

"Probably to safeguard our safety. The ZEN soured much of the galaxy's attitude towards synthetics and my parents had to be cautious about where they hid us during our formative development cycles. Very few people know that there are four of us and even fewer know the details of where we currently reside. For awhile, we were left in the care of a small group of sympathetic quarian scientists who monitored our growth and kept our parents updated on our progress. Once we were mature enough to choose our own paths, we all agreed to go our separate ways. My younger sister and I began living with a married pair of quarians who happened to be senior members of the Terminus Wolves. They were quite welcoming and so were their children. Mal was also quite friendly, he and father would often regale us with stories of their adventures in the past and they both enjoyed playing us songs from father's albums. I don't know much about music but it sounded quite invigorating. I'm glad we decided to come here." ACE explained warmly. "I was sad to learn that Mal lost one of his children." he glumly added.

After a few moments of silence, Lucas continued his questioning of the young synthetic. "ACE, I know about TED's abilities but what exactly can you do?"

"Cyberwarfare, of course. It is in my name. I'm capable of micromanaging all of the Fenrir's electronic defenses and initiating offensive measures against enemy ships that are designed to disable and cripple them during battle. I also have a mobile platform similar to mother and father's but more advanced and equipped with deadlier offensive capabilities. It's currently being stored on the engineering deck where some of our staff have been laboring to complete work on a few final armaments. I believe my presence in the field will become increasingly necessary as you engage the arbiters. As a synthetic life form, their extrasensory assaults won't harm me and that advantage will definitely benefit your cause." ACE seriously explained.

"You're right, we will need you. Especially if any high level controllers show up." Lucas agreed. "Do you have any combat experience?"

"Well…not exactly but I have trained extensively in simulations and downloaded the necessary software so-"

"Oh yeah, he'll be real helpful." Ray sarcastically quipped. "I'm done with this. If anybody needs me, I'll be in the mess hall fixing a sandwich. Try not to blow us up if Lou decides to take you along on an op." he bluntly added before leaving the bridge.

"Wait up bruiser! I'm hungry myself!" Rabbit called before chasing after him.

"He is so in for it later." Grace quietly seethed. "I'm sorry about that ACE. He's still recovering from losing his brother and lashing out at everyone."

"I-I understand, Grace. I can't say that I know how he's feeling but I hope I can help to make things right, in some small way at least. That's why I suggested that the Fenrir be the cruiser you utilized for your campaign. Mal was so worried about letting his children fight, I'd never seen him so distraught. So, I agreed to lend my assistance. It's the least I could do after the kindness he showed me and my sister."

"It may not mean much but I appreciate it, ACE. We all do, Ray included, even if he is being a jackass right now." Lucas replied in appreciation.

"You remind of Mal." ACE responded brightly. "I know! Why don't I give you all a guided tour of the ship? My terminals are located in all the major areas and I'd be happy to show you around."

ACE proved to be an able and energetic tour guide as he showed off all the important decks of the ship and the most noteworthy features of each. Some of Lucas' friends were already wandering around once they arrived, the ship really was a marvel to behold and one could easily lose track of time admiring all the features-The captain's cabin, conference room, war room, quantum entanglement communications room, standard communications room, drive core, shuttle bay, armory, AI core, crew deck, an enormous lounge that was the size of a small nightclub, mess hall (where Ray was already tearing into a sandwich with several of his krogan friends and Rabbit) and medical bay. After arriving at the medical bay, Lucas and the others were greeted to yet another surprise addition to their crew.

"I was starting to think you'd never come down and greet your new medical officer." a familiar and whimsical asari relative casually announced as they entered the infirmary.

"Zel'me?! What are you-"

"Zel'me, my beautiful, sexy, strikingly gorgeous, cousin. I've missed you so much." Nate instantly interrupted before walking over and embracing her. His hands immediately wandered to her backside during the embrace, which she allowed before they eventually separated.

"You haven't changed at all. Are you still only good for one thing?" she asked in a provocative tone.

"You can see for yourself later once we're alone." he suavely responded while placing an arm around her.

"Shameless. Yes, I believe that is an apt term to describe him." Julian stated while observing the pair.

"Try to ignore them. They've been doing this for…just ignore them." Olivia sighed.

"Would you care to explain what you're doing here?" Rain asked in annoyance.

"I'm the ship's doctor. Isn't that obvious?"

"You actually have a medical degree?" Olivia asked in shock.

"I happen to hold several PhDs and one of them is in medicine. I've mentioned it on numerous occasions over the years but the fact that you never bothered to pay attention is hardly surprising. You were always preoccupied with _other_ thoughts after all." Zel'me teased, angering her as usual.

"Interesting, do you happen to hold any other degrees that could prove useful?" Julian politely inquired.

Zel'me took a moment to observe him before smiling. "Biology, xenobiology, chemistry and philosophy. I've heard you dabble in the latter yourself. We should discuss ideologies sometime, Tiger."

"He'll pass and don't bother offering again." Olivia fumed, instantly garnering a curious look from her cousin.

"Zel'me why did you decide to join us? I thought you were planning to chase after Jordy once he got his own ship in a few years." Lucas asked in confusion.

"Who cares? Can't we just be glad that she's here?" Nate quipped before pulling her close and planting a kiss on her neck.

"I'm starting to think Ray was right, we should've left him behind." Rain scoffed.

"I'm here because I want to avenge Leon too. You and your brothers are _my_ playthings. And I won't forgive anyone who breaks one of my toys." Zel'me explained in a dangerous tone.

"Zel'me, I…I'll see you later." Lucas replied in exasperation before departing with the others and leaving his brother behind to continue his flirtations.

"Can you believe her?!" Olivia raged once they were outside the medical bay.

"Actually, yeah. Liv, that's the closest thing to an 'I love you' that we'll ever get from her." Lucas earnestly replied.

"Your familial interactions are quite confusing."

"You'll get used to it, Julian. But watch yourself around her. Zel'me likes to chase things that don't belong to her." Rain warned.

"My weirdo relatives." Lucas quipped before releasing a sigh.

* * *

"So, have you settled in? Gotten acquainted with everyone?"

"Yeah, they seem like good people Dad. I just hope they know what they're getting themselves into."

It had been several hours since Lucas had toured his new ship and he was now utilizing the quantum entanglement communications room to speak with his father back on Cartagena. It hadn't been long since they'd actually seen each other in person but they both wanted to test the new hardware to make sure it was operational and have a chat.

"They know Lou. We've notified everyone under your command about what you'll be facing, including details about the arbiter forces. Thanks to the bodies we examined and the information Julian gathered while fighting them on Heshtok, we know enough to fight them more effectively. Specifics about the proletarians and controllers have already been distributed to your soldiers. They won't be walking in blind." Mal assured him.

"That's good to know." Lucas replied in relief. "I don't suppose you have any new intel for me?"

"Actually, I do. I've had the Shadow Fangs working overtime to gather what they can on the pirates and they delivered, big time."

"Well, let's hear it." Lucas prodded.

"The Batarian Raiders have withdrawn to Lorek and barricaded themselves on the planet. They're regrouping and trying to recover their strength so they can get back to their pillaging, kidnapping, slave trading and murder. Obviously we want to wipe them out before they can return to their shitty habits but we also have to handle it carefully. They've got a lot of captives and they're already selling some of them off." Mal explained grimly.

"To who?!"

"The arbiters. Those crab bastards are buying people by the dozens and paying for them using high tech weaponry that the raiders are eager to use against us."

"Damn it!" Lucas cursed. "That might have to be our first stop. Anything else?"

"The yahg are all reconvening on Parnack but Lou, as someone who was there in the past, I advise you to tread carefully. When I hit that place twenty years ago, I had a LOT of backup from my fleets and Aria's. Those monsters don't go down easy and their leaders are the worst of the worst. When you decide to make your move against them, let me know. I'll arrange for you to have some additional support. We can't be too careful." Mal cautioned.

"So that might be the hardest one, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'm still trying to figure out where the Forgotten have scurried off to but we've found a few clues that might point their way on Illium. I've also got a lead on the bastard that might be responsible for funding this whole mess. The Raiders, Marauders and Forgotten have all been getting backchannel support from somebody outside of the Terminus Systems for years. I've had our best financial sleuths following the credit trails for a long time now and it looks like it might've finally paid off. Giselle contacted me not too long ago from our Noveria branch of Lupine Industries. She's found something or more specifically, someone. She can give you more details once you get there." Mal explained.

"So, Lorek, Parnack, Illium and Noveria. You were right Dad, we're definitely gonna have our work cut out for us. But we're ready."

"I know you are. And don't worry about the mercs, I'm already dealing with them."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"No Lou, I don't. I need to handle this personally. The merc leaders and I go way back. It's only fair that they look me in the eyes before they die." Mal replied in a vindictive tone.

"I get it. Be sure to give Grim a few shots for me."

"You know I will. I guess I should let you go now. Lou, I love you. Tell Liv and your brothers that I love them too and to be careful. I can't…I can't handle losing another pup."

"We'll be fine Dad, I promise. A man always keeps his promises, right?"

"You really did listen to everything I taught you."

"Of course I did. You're my Dad."

Both father and son decided to end the communication on that note. They both had work to do.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me move in, I know it was a lot to carry."

"It was no trouble Liv but I am curious as to why you need so many communication terminals and monitors in your room."

Olivia and Julian had just transported the last of her personal items into the executive officer's quarters of the Fenrir and the area was currently littered with all manner of electronics and high grade engineering components.

"Lots of reasons, Julian. As Lou's XO I'm gonna be responsible for all of the bureaucratic garbage that he won't have time to bother with like managing when and where our ground troops deploy when we engage in a land campaign, keeping our krogan soldiers separated from each other and everyone else during travel, maintaining contact with the Amazon divisions who are stationed on the frigates that are following us, making sure my girls here are okay and keeping track of Lou's Beast Brigade squadrons." Olivia carefully explained. "I also promised Layla and Sasha that I'd stay in touch. They tend to stumble across useful info and anything they find this time will definitely come in handy. They were actually the ones who got me this equipment and put it all together. I'm damn sure not a tech wizard."

"I had no idea you'd be so busy."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that I was hoping we could continue to-Nevermind. I should let you get to work." Julian quickly responded before turning to leave. He was instantly intercepted when Olivia grabbed his arm.

"Julian."

"Yes?"

"Drop by whenever you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Would you prefer I come see you?"

"That wouldn't be advisable. I offered to share a quarters with Garr to increase the distance between him and our krogan crew and to prevent any possible altercations. He's an amiable enough roommate but not very tidy. Our quarters…I'd rather you didn't see it. You are a lady after all." Julian earnestly explained causing her to blush slightly.

"So, no choice then?"

"I suppose not. I'll come to you." he promised.

"Good, I can't wait." Olivia pleasantly stated before releasing his arm.

After reaching the hall outside Julian quickly smiled to himself before departing.

"When did _that_ happen?" Rabbit demanded in outrage while observing the scene from the other end of the hall with a pair of Olivia's brothers.

"How would I know? I'm the family bum, remember?" Nate joked while munching on an apple.

"I _warned_ him. Son of a…" Ray quietly seethed.

"Yeah, well, I don't think he cares." Nate quipped.

"It's not funny! Did you forget about all the bullshit we went through after-"

"Hey!" Nate suddenly interjected in a serious tone. "I didn't and we promised we wouldn't bring any of that crap back up."

"Any of what?" Rabbit queried.

"Nothing, don't listen this meathead. He's just pissed off because Grace gave him a good talking-to and now his manly feelings are hurt." Nate joked.

"Keep pushing it clown." Ray ominously warned. "I'm seriously gonna have to deal with that guy." he quietly added while watching Julian in the distance.

* * *

"Being the boss has its perks, doesn't it?" Rain teased while stretching across the enormous bed inside of Lucas' private cabin. "This bed is perfect, designed for civilian comfort. Your father thinks of everything."

"I'm definitely not complaining." Lucas replied brightly before falling across the bed himself. "My own shower, locker, private terminal, vid-screen the size of a wall, sound system and a perfect view of space. I've got everything a man needs, especially with you here." he added before turning over to kiss his girlfriend.

"This is hardly appropriate, Captain Hunter. I am a subordinate. What will people say when they realize we're sharing a room?" Rain playfully joked.

"That the Mercenary King of Cartagena can do whatever he damn well pleases." Lucas confidently stated before pulling her into another kiss. "Plus we're mercenaries, leave that regs against fraternization garbage to the Alliance."

Afterwards, he wrapped his arms around her as they both snuggled closer on the bed. "Have you finally decided where we'll head to first?" Rain quietly asked.

"Yeah and it's gonna be brutal, there's no getting around it. I hope everyone's ready."

"We are. Lead and we'll follow Wolf. And remember, your rain will always be here to cool you during battle and wash away the blood afterwards."

"And this wolf will always be here to comfort his rain and keep her warm no matter how dark it gets."

"He'd better."

The first assignment in Operation Hunter was about to begin.


	17. Chapter 17 Tired and Angry

Chapter 17: Tired and Angry

Zorya, home of the Blue Suns mercenary company. A planet long exploited by mining and manufacturing corporations due to its rich reserves of natural resources and slack environmental regulations. The lush jungle world also happened to be abundant in crime, corruption and piracy-all of which the Blue Suns had a hand in. That however, was about to change. The Terminus Wolves had recently entered the Faia System and initiated a ferocious military campaign against their rivals who despite expecting an eventual attack, were nonetheless still caught off guard by the savage offensive. Fang divisions of every discipline were being deployed in every colony with one order, kill all Blue Suns Mercenaries. The local populace did little to stand in the way of the murderous purge, they held no loyalty to the mercs and many even offered to sell information about their hiding spots in exchange for credits, a deal the Shadow Fangs were more than happy to permit. Within hours of arriving on the planet's surface, the Terminus Wolves and Fangs had slaughtered over half of the Blue Suns and those remaining would quickly fall soon after. Their enemies weren't taking prisoners and their leader wasn't in a forgiving mood. The Terminus Hunter was out for blood.

"I knew I'd find you cowering around somewhere down here, Grady." Mal casually stated while facing his beaten down captive.

The battered form of the Blue Suns leader was currently tied to a chair as his captor coldly stared at him from his own seat mere centimeters away while holding his intricately designed and brutal looking signature knife. The room they were occupying was one of many in a rusted out ore refinery that had long been abandoned by its original owners. It was also filled with the bodies of Blue Suns mercs who'd made the unfortunate mistake of being a member of that particular mercenary band and getting in an angry and grieving father's way. Their leader was already trembling but the sound of crunching and tearing in the background was increasing his terror exponentially. An enormous black varren that was easily the size of two or three of its brethren was leisurely devouring the remains of his men. He'd heard rumors about what the Terminus Hunter did to people he truly despised but never actually imagined…

"Grady!" Mal suddenly shouted, startling the man. "Pay attention, I'm trying to have a conversation with you."

"I-I-I didn't…I-I-don't…"

"Is Jin making you nervous?" Mal asked in an offhand manner while glancing at his pet who was at that very moment gnawing the arm off of a dead turian legionnaire. "He's a good boy, my most impressive beast yet. I breed them you know. A little hobby I started a few years ago. My kids love animals, especially my girls. My oldest, she's still got a pet Kakliosaur that I got her when she was four. The poor guy is getting on in years now but my Angel still loves him to death. Oh and my triplets, they each had their own pet varren since they were babies. Big, red, rambunctious things-they used to drive my wife insane. I'm thinking about getting everyone a new pet. Most of them are adults now but a father can still be a father, right? My Firebrand, I'll probably get her a tiger. She mentioned wanting one not too long ago and I'm pretty sure I know why. Kids, they grow up so fast. But you wouldn't know anything about that Grady. I'm pretty sure a piece of shit like you doesn't have any and if you do, it just proves how messed up this galaxy really is."

"It wasn't personal. T-T-The credits…"

Grady's whimpering plea was immediately met with a stab to the knee as Mal sank his blade into the man's leg causing him cry out in agony.

"Let's talk for a little while about those credits and where they came from. You see Grady, I'm going to kill you. There's no debating that. How I do it, now that's another matter entirely. I could make it quick and clean or slow and brutal, it's all up to you. Now, you're going to tell me everything you know about the SPECTRE who hired you and if you happen to lie to me, well…"

Mal suddenly released a whistle that signaled his colossal varren who quickly jogged over from across the room while dragging the severed leg of another dead Blue Suns mercenary.

"Jin will get another meal, piece by piece. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Y-Yes."

"Good, now start talking."

An hour later, Mal casually left the room with his pet while covered in blood that wasn't his. Waiting outside was none other than his old mentor, the very man who'd created the company that he had just effectively destroyed.

"Any regrets?" Mal apathetically inquired.

"When it comes to these bastards, the only regret I have is that I didn't do this myself years ago." Zaeed calmly informed him. "So, Omega next?"

"Yeah. I wanna finish this up before I do the press release. Let's go."

* * *

The sound of cold water splashing the bruised and disfigured face of a former asari commando quietly echoed in a small, vacant room that rested within one of Omega's many secret crevices. The woman who'd been doused slowly roused back to consciousness. After opening her eyes, she struggled to regain her sight which was still hazy. As her vision gradually returned, she quickly remembered where she was and what was going on. She had provoked someone, someone that she'd admired in the past. It had been a mistake on her part but the opportunity had simply been too good to pass up. And she wanted to hurt him in some small way as payback for rejecting her so many times. But after taking stock of her current situation, she couldn't imagine having made a bigger err in judgment. She had been stripped, chained to a ceiling and tortured by one of the most ruthless and mentally unhinged asari in the galaxy-A woman who also happened to be completely devoted to the Terminus Hunter since the moment they met as youths.

"Really Nadine, this passing out of yours is starting to get old. How am I supposed to enjoy punishing you if you keep losing consciousness? Can't you think of anyone but yourself?" Zelia asked in a whimsical tone.

"Just kill me! Get it over with already!"

"Oh I will, don't worry. That is what Mal requested while he and his Wolves finish hunting down your remaining subordinates. He's such a gentleman, even now. But I happen to be a bit stricter and far less forgiving." Zelia replied as her tone grew mercilessly cold.

"It doesn't matter what you do to me anyway. Someone else will rise to take my place, Eclipse won't die!"

"Of course it won't, what a stupid thing to say." Zelia cheerfully replied while rummaging through a bag of ominous looking instruments that were obviously torture devices. "Eclipse will live on under new leadership. Smarter leadership. My leadership."

"Y-Y-You…W-W-What?!"

"Silly, foolish, stupid, little Nadine. I've been planting my own people in your organization for decades. It was a little contingency plan that Mal and I came up with after his disagreement with your former colleague on Illium twenty years ago. Right now, they're all gathered there and awaiting my orders. I do regret that I wasn't able to place anyone higher up so that I could warn Mal about your little side deal with the SPECTRE but I suppose I'll have to make up for it now." Zelia calmly explained before finally pulling a long and sinister looking whip from her bag.

"You really are crazy! My people won't…won't…"

"Finally figured it out? Your people are all dead. Killed in action during your failed invasion attempt and now the rest are falling to Mal's wrath. To be honest, I've never seen him like this before. It's quite the turn on." Zelia pleasantly stated while unfurling the whip. "This little toy happens to respond to biotics. It makes the lashes much more painful but still nonlethal. Why don't we find out how many you can take before you black out again?"

"Goddess help me!"

"I don't think she can hear you right now." Zelia gleefully responded before pulling back her whip.

The screams of agony and deranged laughter that followed would go unnoticed for several hours.

* * *

Blood Pack HQ, Omega. After losing contact with their counterparts on Tuchanka and elsewhere, the remaining Blood Pack mercenaries had to face an unpleasant truth. They were all that remained of their company. The Terminus Wolves were cleaning house and it wasn't pretty. They had already wiped out the entire Blue Suns and Eclipse bands on Omega and everyone else on their payroll. Slavers, red sand traffickers, arms dealers, anyone with ties to the rival mercs had been killed and in brutal fashion. The only mercenary company that had been spared so far was the Talons and everyone knew why. They had been the only group to refuse the SPECTRE'S offer several months earlier and it now appeared that they'd made an infinitely better decision than their rivals. While Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Pack soldiers were being slaughtered all across the station by the Terminus Hunter and his forces, the Talons were being left in peace. It was a bitter thought for the krogan who was now lying in a pool of his own blood near the entrance of his hideout.

"Silvio…he said we'd regret it." Grim coughed.

"But you did it anyway." Mal coldly added while glaring at him in contempt as he stood over his dying prey.

"What do you want from me Mal? An excuse? A reason?"

As the Blood Pack leader continued to languish in an ever expanding flood of his rapidly depleting body fluids, he couldn't help but be impressed with his adversary. He was every bit as powerful as the stories made him out to be but then again, he'd already known that. He'd seen him fight before in the past and even battled alongside him during the war with the Trio. But suffering the man's rage firsthand and being on the receiving end of his ferocity was a completely different experience and a frightening one. Losing both of his legs during the battle had been a setback, losing his left arm was another handicap but having half his body torn apart, there was simply no recovering from that even for a krogan.

"Was it just about the vorcha and your twisted beliefs about how they should live beneath you? Or was it something else Grim? Credits? More power? Just tell me before I finish you off."

"It was an opportunity. Everything else was just a bonus. I saw my chance and I took it. That's how it is in our line of work. Don't act like you've forgotten." Grim defiantly explained in between labored breaths.

Mal continued to glare at him before finally pulling out his knife. "Your 'opportunity' contributed to me losing one of the most important things in my life. Die in agony, Grim."

At no point in Mal's life had he ever taken more pleasure in severing a krogan's ridge plate than in that moment.

* * *

"Silvio, have a seat." Mal calmly ordered.

The old Talon leader quickly obliged but was careful to keep his eyes on his host. The recent bloodbath on the station had made him and his subordinates wary. Even though the Terminus Wolves had spared them during their purge, he wasn't about to throw caution to the wind. He had agreed to meet with Mal in the Afterlife Club due to its status as neutral ground of sorts and he was certain that the Terminus Hunter wouldn't instigate a conflict in his former mentor's private sanctuary. Everything appeared to be normal other than the fact that the establishment was somewhat emptier than usual. A few scattered dancers were performing their usual routines while a handful of batarians and a scruffy looking krogan sat at the bar.

"You can relax, I'm not planning to kill you." Mal assured him. "Now do me a favor and have your omni-bow snipers take a walk. Otherwise our friendly little meeting will turn into something worse." he warned while glancing at a pair of Talon engineers who were positioned in the shadows on the higher level of the club.

Silvio promptly signaled his men to leave while keeping his eyes trained on Mal. "You can't blame me for taking precautions especially after the massacre you and your Wolves just carried out."

"But you know why I did it, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I knew that SPECTRE would be trouble the moment he contacted me. No amount of credits is worth provoking you. Hell, you just proved why." Silvio sighed before pouring himself a drink from a bottle that was resting on the table and downing it in one gulp. "Mm, bourbon. Aged at ten?"

"Fifteen, I was saving it for a special occasion." Mal casually responded. "Silvio, I called you here because I'm a man who appreciates smart decisions. You and the Talons made a smart decision and now it's gonna pay off. I'm handing you control of everything that the Blue Suns controlled on Omega and Zorya. My Wolves are keeping the Blood Pack's holdings and Eclipse is officially under new management. In exchange for my generosity I'll expect you to continue making good decisions and to be on hand if I call you. Actually, scratch that. Be on hand if my son calls you. He's the new head of the family now, so you'll deal with him."

"I see…is that really it?" Silvio suspiciously inquired.

"Always cautious but that is why you're still alive right now." Mal mused. "I'm also extending an invitation to join my little consortium of associates. I think it'll be worth your time." he continued before signaling one of the batarians who was sitting at the bar. The man was sporting a full set of the Terminus Hound Armor that all of Mal's Fangs wore. "This is Cralle, one of my best soldiers and the new liaison between me and the recently formed Batarian Federation. We've both got a business proposition for you."

"I'm listening." Silvio carefully responded while eyeing the newcomer.

"As you've probably heard, the yahg have finally been driven from Khar'shan thanks to Mal's intervention. Reconstruction is underway but progress is slow and my people have little in the way of economic resources. Historically, a significant portion of our wealth came from the slave trade but this is a turning point for us. We have to adapt, to change. But we are still criminals and rogues as far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned which is why we've allied ourselves with the Terminus Hunter and his Wolves." Cralle explained.

"I represent my people and Cralle's in the Chaos Syndicate." Mal elaborated.

"T-That actually exists! I thought…now I see." Silvio replied in shock after learning the revelation. He had heard only rumors about the shadowy coalition of the Terminus Systems' most influential power players.

"Some idiots like to compare it to the Citadel's Council, a few would argue that we're the Terminus equivalent but the only similarities between us are the fact that we meet and discuss a few issues from time to time." Mal explained. "Anyway, keep going Cralle."

"As I was saying, my people have reached an epoch in our history. We intend to walk forward as merchants but no longer as purveyors of flesh. We now plan to manufacture and sell armaments-More specifically, weapons and armor that are illegal in Citadel Space. Terminus Wolves Inc. has a market for their high end particle weapons but they're costly and require a certain degree of skill to use effectively. My people plan to target more economical buyers with powerful, easy to use guns. Thermal clips are still the standard for many after all."

"Basically, Cralle and his people are willing to cut you a deal on everything they make as long as you get your gear exclusively from them. You won't be the only ones buying their stuff but you will be the first to get the best." Mal explained. "You'll also be free to make requests for specialty items. The new leader of Eclipse has already placed her own orders."

Silvio took a moment to contemplate the offer before finally responding. "So, by accepting this offer, I gain access to a steady source of reliable weapons and armaments and membership into the coalition that you represent on the Chaos Syndicate. Have I missed anything?"

"You also get support from the Fangs if you ever happen to need it but that works both ways. It was mentioned before but I also represent the Batarian Federation and just recently, Eclipse. We'll be helping each other to a certain extent but also staying out of each other's way. Am I making myself clear? Possible contract disputes, territorial claims or any other arguments will go through me and I'll resolve them. Once my son gets home and formally takes the reins, you'll all be dealing with him but for now, I'll handle everything." Mal clarified.

"I understand and I accept the offer." Silvio calmly agreed.

"Good, then let's all drink to a new partnership." Mal announced before pouring each of them a glass of the aged bourbon. Afterwards, they all raised their glasses in a toast before quickly emptying them. "It is good stuff, I'm glad I saved a few bottles. Zaeed's birthday is coming up. I've got other business to handle so I'll let you two negotiate the rest of the details on your own."

While the two men began discussing possible orders, Mal got to his feet and began making his way to Aria's private booth and took another glance at the krogan who was still seated at the bar. He chose to ignore him for the time being and continued on his way. After climbing the steps and reaching the top, he immediately found himself on the receiving end of Zelia's affectionate embrace.

"Mal, you're late. Business is business but you mustn't neglect your future bond mate." she teased.

"I'm really not in the mood for this right now Zelia." Mal sharply replied causing her to frown. "Did you take care of Nadine?"

"Of course but I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do with her body so-"

"I don't care. Burn it, space it-"

"Or feed it to a ravenous pack of feral varren? I hope you don't mind but I took a page out of your book and gave a local pack of strays a modest feast. I actually felt sorry for the poor things, Nadine couldn't have been a very satisfying meal." Zelia playfully lamented.

"Zelia, leave us." Aria suddenly ordered.

"But he just got back and I hardly ever get to see him anymore with his station and secret projects…"

"Now."

Zelia responded by pouting before promptly leaping up and kissing Mal's cheek. She then gave him one of her usual seductive smiles before departing.

"You've been busy." Aria placidly stated as Mal took a seat next to her.

"Just cleaning up your backyard." Mal scoffed. "The mercs, did you know?"

"About their deal with the SPECTRE? No. That they would eventually turn on you? Yes. You've grown complacent over the years and I taught you better."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you. That is the tragedy of my life." Mal sarcastically countered before folding his arms.

"With everything that's recently occurred in your territories, our colleagues were beginning to question whether or not you were still up to the task of holding your seat." Aria calmly continued, ignoring his cynicism. "I'm glad to see that their concerns were unfounded."

"Why the hell do I even bother with it? All my power, influence, connections, none of it meant a damn thing when it really mattered." Mal bitterly stated.

"Is that why you've decided to walk away? To pass everything on to Lucas?"

"I was always planning to retire Aria. This whole situation just…I'm tired and not even close to being through yet. How the hell do you do it? Centuries of this crap, I'm not even near a hundred and I'm already burnt out. Virgo was right…I do need to get away."

"Is that you're plan? To expand and fortify your empire before handing it to your son and disappearing? How selfless or selfish depending on the perspective." Aria mused.

"My only plan is to make sure my kids are safe from monsters both ancient and modern. And I'll pay the price for that security myself."

Aria took a moment to observe her old student before stretching back in her seat. "Is the boy ready? If he isn't, I won't interfere."

"Lou will be able to handle it and he'll have Liv helping him. That should make you happy."

"It does. I still think Olivia would've been the better choice but I am biased. I instructed her just as I instructed you and watched her grow. I'm also curious to see how your twins have come along."

"Then maybe you should visit more often." Mal replied plainly before getting to his feet. "They'll be adults themselves before long but I'll never stop worrying." he quietly added before making his way towards the steps.

"Mal, you aren't the first to lose a child." Aria suddenly stated in a surprisingly softer tone.

Her former protégé silently turned to face her and she saw it. A glimpse of the unfathomable pain that he was carrying behind the stern eyes that rarely betrayed anything.

"Maybe not but am I the first to lose a grandchild? An innocent who never even got the chance to be born?"

Aria found herself stunned by the implication but quickly recovered as Mal descended the steps of her booth.

"Does Tess know? Do the others?"

"I'll carry it to my grave, Aria."

It was a simple vow from a man who may as well have been carrying the universe on his shoulders.

After returning to the main floor of the club, Mal once again noticed the krogan who was sitting at the bar. The stranger was now getting up and making his own exit but he wouldn't be leaving just yet.

"Krevrak of Clan Tox, the first krogan SPECTRE."

The krogan stranger hadn't expected to be identified, least of all by the man who'd just wiped out over half of the mercenaries on the station. After turning around to face Mal outside of the Afterlife Club, he quickly noticed that he was surrounded by a small army of Fangs.

"Is this the part where you kill me too?" Krevrak mused.

"Ordinarily, yeah. But you happen to be one of Wrex's people so I'm willing to let you go as long as you don't show your face anywhere near Omega or the Terminus Systems again." Mal explained.

"Hunter, I know about the rogue agents and what-"

"Save it for the politicians who already know and don't give a damn. I'm cleaning this mess up Krevrak, actually my kids are cleaning this mess up. So do me a favor and give whoever you answer to a message. Stay out of our fucking way."

Krevrak took a moment to scan the area further before finally backing away slowly as a sea of particle weapons were suddenly pulled out and aimed at him.

"One more thing." Mal announced after one of his own krogan subordinates arrived with a strange containment pod. He immediately opened it and lifted a corpse from the inside before tossing it at Krevrak's feet.

The krogan agent looked down and immediately identified the body. "Miles Brennan."

"Tell Shepard if I find any more of his trash on my property he won't get it back. It's officially open season on any SPECTRES who show up out here. Now get the hell off this station before I change my mind." Mal viciously commanded.

Krevrak was no stranger to battle and had faced his share of warlords and clan leaders over the years but none had managed to unnerve him like the man facing him down at that moment, a man whose hatred was threatening to suffocate him by simply being in his presence. After grabbing Brennan's body, he once again began backing away until he was in the relative safety of the docking bays.

"You idiots really pissed off the wrong Terminus Overlord." Krevrak lamented while staring at Brennan's corpse.

He had a report to file and a Shepard to contact.


	18. Chapter 18 Shock and Sadness

Chapter 18: Shock and Sadness

" _In other news, the notorious head of Terminus Wolves Incorporated has recently announced that he's stepping down as CEO. Malcolm Hunter, founder and leader of the Terminus Wolves Mercenary Company held a public press event on Bekenstein earlier today to address investors and several high profile clients about the transition. Lucas Hunter, the second eldest son in the Hunter family, will officially have his father's title and responsibilities transferred to him once he returns from an unspecified vacation according to Mr. Hunter. Lucas' sister, Olivia Hunter, is also slated to be named COO during the same handover. The Terminus Wolves have become the largest and most influential private security firm during the last decade and Terminus Wolves Incorporated is currently one of the biggest corporations in the galaxy with several notable subsidiaries including Lupine Industries which many have argued is the leading innovator in the fields of bioengineering and biotechnology. The creator of the controversial Red-Med medi-gel variant has continued to push the boundaries of scientific research in recent years and received several warnings from the Council in the process. Other well known and profitable subsidiaries of the company include Feral Munitions, the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of particle weapons and Primal Designs, a leading developer of omni-tools and security software. Terminus Wolves Incorporated as a whole has an estimated worth of billions and continues to see growth…"_

Normally news from the financial feeds went ignored by most who wandered the Citadel but following the recent announcement about the Terminus Wolves, nearly everyone who was seated outside of a small café on the Presidium Commons began gossiping at length.

"Billions?! Damn I knew the Wolves were loaded but still…"

"That kid is one lucky SOB, his father is basically handing him a kingdom."

"In more ways than one. They forgot to mention that Malcolm Hunter or the Terminus Hunter if you're so inclined, also happens to rule Cartagena Station in the Nemean Abyss. There's no telling how many extra enterprises he has going on out there that probably bring in even more credits. Oh yeah, he runs Heshtok and leads the vorcha too. Talk about empires, geez."

"Life just isn't fair. I saw that Lucas guy once on Illium. He was strolling around with Eleanor Rowen on his arm."

"Makes sense to me, two wealthy heirs hooking up. That'll probably be the next headline."

"Well they are all gorgeous. You should see the rest of the family, hang on they're showing a photo now."

A moment later, a family photo was displayed on vid-screens across the area highlighting the entire Hunter family in a group camera shot that had no doubt been taken candidly without their knowledge during a prior gathering years earlier.

"Hang on, I recognize two of them! Weren't they sitting near us a minute ago?!"

Vince and Angelica had taken the opportunity to discreetly slip away from their table the moment the news story appeared. They had grown accustomed to avoiding the unwanted attention that Mal's name often brought.

"I can't believe this! Dad is back! Why hasn't he tried to contact us?"

"He's probably been busy Angelica. It's gonna take time for him to get things ready for Lou and he may have already tried to call us. We haven't exactly been sitting in one place these past few weeks."

"This is crazy! I…I feel kind of stupid Vince. I never realized how big the Terminus Wolves really were."

"Are you serious?! Angelica, the omni-tool that you use was developed by Primal Designs."

"I didn't know that! It was a gift from Dad and that's all that mattered to me."

"Good grief woman, get with the times. Legally you're entitled to a share of it all, you know that right?"

"I don't want it and I'm sure the others would disagree with me getting anything."

"I'll admit that might be true for some of them, the thought of our family's wealth ending up in the hands of the Shepards…yeah it could get ugly, especially if Ray got involved."

"Vince, I don't really want to talk about this anymore. Let's just hurry back to the Gettysburg and ask Uncle Ethan if we can use the communications room. I want to see Dad."

Vince was happy to oblige, he didn't really want to ponder how nasty things could get either and without further ado they both rushed across the commons, eager to make contact with a man they hadn't seen in a very long time.

* * *

"I don't want to hear it Ethan. Do you know how long I've been trying to reach you?"

"Mal, I'm sorry. But I've been busy investigating something important and by now I'm guessing you know what it is. Why didn't you try contacting David or-"

"Because right now you're the only one I can stand to look at and only barely. Did you get my gift?"

"Krevrak delivered Brennan's body to the Alliance and Dad isn't happy. Mal, this isn't gonna go over well with-"

"Ask me if I give a fuck. Go ahead, do it. That bastard tried to kill Ray and got what was coming to him."

Ethan had known Mal for a long time and at no point had he ever felt threatened by him or hated even when the young mercenary's ties to the Shepard family had been pushed to their breaking point during Equinox's attempt at framing him decades earlier. However, at that moment, the friend that he'd held for so long, the man that he considered a brother, appeared not only to be a stranger but a hostile one. He could sense Mal's loathing from his holo-image and was grateful that they were currently alone inside his ship's communications room.

"Uncle Ethan, we-Dad!"

The abrupt arrival of Angelica and Vince quickly broke the tension as Mal's mood immediately brightened after catching sight of his children.

"Angel, Vince. You're both okay. That's a relief."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Vince asked in confusion.

"Lots of reasons, mostly involving SPECTRES." Mal bitterly stated while directing a glare at Ethan.

"Mal, I don't know what you've heard but those agents were operating-"

"Under direct orders from the Council before and after heading towards Despoina. You're not blaming this all on the Leviathans. They may be puppets now but two of those agents knew exactly what they were setting in motion before they got sent on that dumbass recon operation." Mal angrily interrupted before Ethan could continue. "Pirates and mercs launching invasions on my territories and you want to-"

"Wait, what?!" Vince asked in shock. "Mal, what happened?"

"Dad, is everything okay?" Angelica anxiously asked.

Mal had been dreading it for a long time, having to tell his two distant children about their younger brother's death. The horrific details surrounding Leon and Keiko's demise, it was a sickening thought and a painful memory but he had to let them know. He wouldn't be able to keep their deaths a secret much longer and news of their passings had already begun spreading across the Terminus Systems. As difficult as it was for him to relive the images, he wanted his kids to hear the truth from him and not secondhand.

"Listen, both of you. I've got some bad news."

The shift in his tone as he continued quickly caused both Angelica and Vince to fear what was coming next.

"Leon…Leon and Keiko are dead."

"NO!" Angelica instantly screamed before falling to her knees in anguish.

"That…that can't be true. It just can't be true." Vince muttered in disbelief.

"Mal, are you serious? How-"

"NO, IT'S ONE BIG FUCKING JOKE ETHAN!" Mal roared in a fury, startling everyone present. He took a moment afterwards to calm himself before continuing. "Vince, Angelica, this is what happened…"

What followed was a horrifying recollection based on the experiences of everyone who'd been present when the arbiters and rogue SPECTRES showed up on Heshtok. Once Mal had finished explaining what had happened, the room immediately fell silent save for Angelica's sobs.

"Mal, I'm sorry. I had no idea. Is there anything-"

"Stop. Talking. Right. Now." Mal slowly demanded through gritted teeth before Ethan could offer his condolences. "You don't have any inkling of what I've been through these past few weeks or what my family has been through all because of your damn SPECTRES and whatever shitty politicians sent them into my backyard. Save your damn sympathy, I'm in no mood."

"Mal, the ceremony, is it too late?" Vince choked.

"Sorry Vince, once I called everyone back we…sorry. I wanted to reach you but-"

"But I was too far away." Vince whispered in regret. "I'm coming home. I have to see Lou, Liv, everyone."

"Lou's not home right now and neither is Liv. They're both away handling some business. Nate and Ray are with them and so are a few of their friends." Mal explained.

"I-I get it." Vince replied in understanding. He knew exactly what he meant. They were hunting. While he'd been away, one of his precious little brothers had died, the very brother who'd wanted to mend the rifts between everyone and now the others were off avenging him. He had missed everything and that thought would plague him for the rest of his life.

"I'm still on Bekenstein right now. You can meet me here and then I'll make arrangements to have a few of our ships take you home. I want to go with you but Tess and I have to make a stop on Terra Nova to visit her family's graves. She wants to tell them what happened and it's important to her. I'll see you as soon as we get back." Mal quietly explained.

"That's fine. I hope Tess is okay. I hope everyone is okay." Vince silently pleaded. "Mal, I…you'll be there, right?" Vince once again choked while struggling against the lump in his throat. He couldn't allow himself to cry no matter what.

"Vince, look at me. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here waiting for you and so will Virgo." Mal promised while staring back him.

"Dad, I want to go too. I want to see everyone." Angelica sniffed after finally getting to her feet.

"Alright, Angel. I'll see you both when you get here. There's a supply freighter from Primal Designs due to arrive at the Citadel in a few hours, you can both catch a ride after it gets there."

"Mal, I can bring them. It won't be any trouble and I'd like to talk about-"

"Don't say it." Mal bitterly interrupted. "Ethan, I'm going to be honest. I don't want to see you in person right now and I damn sure don't want to talk to you. You wanna bring my kids? Fine. See to it that they make it safely to the spaceport in Milgrom, Bekenstein's capital and don't linger in the area. My Wolves and Fangs are on full alert. I'm not taking any chances."

After glaring at Ethan, Mal took a moment to give a warm glance at his children before quietly disappearing.

"He's angry, really angry and I can't blame him. Leon and Keiko, how could this have happened?!" Vince shouted in dismay before collapsing onto his hands and knees. "I failed you little brother! I wasn't there when you needed me the most! I'm supposed to be your shields!"

Angelica quickly made her way over as he pounded his fists on the floor in agony and frustration.

"You can cry Vince. Just let it out." she softly urged while continuing to shed her own tears and embracing him.

"No, I can't Angelica. I'm a Hunter, maybe not by blood but still a Hunter. And Hunter men don't cry." Vince defiantly stated while trembling.

As Ethan observed the pair, he found himself at a loss for words. His friend had lost a son and his niece had lost a brother. Nothing he could say would ease anyone's suffering so he simply left the two Hunters to continue their mourning and prayed that their father's anger would eventually subside long enough for them to talk.

* * *

"My last two pups, finally back." Mal sighed in relief while hugging his children.

They had just arrived at the suite in the hotel where he and his wife were staying along with their surrogate mother. "You didn't have any problems, did you Virgo?"

"No, Captain Shepard was true to his word and personally escorted our cubs from his ship before delivering them to me at the spaceport." Virgo explained while holding the two young adults herself. "I've missed you both so much."

"That makes two of us. At least I can still count on Ethan, for some things anyway." Mal thoughtfully replied before finally releasing his kids. "Well, get in here. Let me get a good look at you both."

After entering the hotel room, he took a moment to observe Vince and Angelica before smiling. "My angel, as beautiful as ever. And my enforcer, still looking tough."

"Don't give me that. Both Lou and Ray are bigger than me now and I'm supposed to be the big brother." Vince joked.

"You and Nate are the same height though. You've got similar builds too. It's not a completely lost cause." Mal humorously responded.

"Yeah right, just wait till Jordy has his next growth spurt. How embarrassing will that be?" Vince continued to joke. "Leon thought the whole thing was funny. He used to tell me-"

Vince abruptly stopped after realizing he'd brought up the subject that they were all struggling to avoid.

"Don't hide from it. We've done enough of that at home. He's gone and we're all still trying heal. I'm still trying to heal." Mal admitted before turning around, entering the suite and slumping into a sofa.

Virgo softly caressed Vince and Angelica's cheeks before following and taking a seat next to Mal. After scooting closer to him, she gently took hold of his hand and brought it to rest on her lap. She was being her usual self but far more cautious and considerate than normal.

"Dad, how are you? How are the others? Tess? Mason and Rika?"

"We're managing, Angel. Somehow. They were gonna get married, you know."

"I-I had no idea." Angelica replied in shock before shedding a few tears.

"I didn't either." Vince sadly confessed.

"Leon…he popped the question after you'd already left. He said he wanted to tell you both in person. We had made all the arrangements for the wedding, everybody was excited. Mason and Rika were getting a son and I was getting another daughter. It was nice." Mal glumly explained.

"Dad, I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing you can say, Angel. I'm just glad neither of you were there to see them on Heshtok. That was an image that none of us will ever forget, least of all me. While I was off dicking around in the Obsidian Gulf, my son and his fiancé were being murdered. I let them down and nothing I do will ever make up for it." Mal lamented before quietly scolding himself.

"We've been over this and I won't let you torture yourself. Do you understand me?" Virgo sternly responded while squeezing his hand and staring back at him. Afterwards, she pulled his hand to her lips and tenderly kissed it before releasing her grip. "Tess will be awake soon and you know how she gets these days when you aren't there. Go, I'll look after our cubs."

Mal reluctantly obeyed but not before hugging his children again after returning to his feet. He took a moment to smile back at them after crossing the suite before disappearing behind a door into an adjoining room.

"Dad…I've never seen him like this." Angelica whispered.

"Me neither. Mom, is he okay?"

"Vince, you know Mal. You know him as well or perhaps better than any of his other children. So you should already know that half of those responsible for contributing to this tragedy have been dealt with in brutal fashion. You should know that everyone is still relying on him as a rock and an anchor. And you should know that Mal is shouldering everything himself as usual. He's given no regard to his own emotional well-being and has actively tried to ease everyone else's suffering while ignoring his own. It's something that I won't allow to continue. I won't stand by and watch as he destroys himself for the sake of others, not even for our treasures or for _our_ children." Virgo quietly explained with a hint of resolve.

"Virgo, you aren't taking advantage of him, are you?" Angelica nervously asked.

She realized almost immediately that a nerve had been struck as Virgo's eyes narrowed on her. "Is that what you think of me, Angelica? Is that what you really think of me?"

"No but I-"

"I've stood by and watched as that man buried himself in blood and battle in order to numb the pain. I've watched him see off four of his remaining children with a forced smile as they cast themselves into the unknown with no consideration for their father's feelings. I've watched as he devoted himself to mending the heart of a wife who's inconsolable and I've watched as he swallowed his own sorrow for the sake of standing strong for our treasures, Wolves and Fangs. So to answer to your question, yes, I have taken advantage of him. When he neglects to eat, I feed him. When he refuses to sleep, I coax him. When his body tenses up because he's pouring all of his attention into managing the company, the station or Heshtok, I make sure that he relaxes. When he's worrying himself ragged over one of our treasures or pups, I reassure him. And when I notice him mumbling in his sleep after he's dozed off somewhere after working too hard, I have Taya calm his dreams. Yes Angelica, I take advantage of every opening that he provides in order to keep him alive and healthy and I won't apologize for it." Virgo fervently explained.

After an awkward silence, Vince suddenly began chuckling. "So nothing's changed. It's just like when I was a kid and Mal would overdo it. You're still keeping him up and running."

"Of course I am. I'll always tend to him and follow wherever he goes, even hell itself…" Virgo replied sadly with a faint smile on her face.

"Mom, what do you mean?" Vince asked apprehensively while observing her with a worried look in his eyes.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Virgo assured him. "You two have had quite the trip. Why don't I get us all some room service?" she quickly proposed after getting to her feet.

The moment she rose, Angelica quickly embraced her. "Virgo, I'm sorry. Please, keep looking after him. Take care of my father."

Virgo returned the embrace while smiling. "Haven't I always?"

It was true. The maiden had always been there for the wolf from the moment he rescued his daughter so many years earlier and almost died in the process. She hadn't left his side since and wasn't planning to now, regardless of what came next.

* * *

"Oh God. Ethan, is that really true?"

"Allie, I heard it directly from Mal. The look in his eyes, the pain, the hatred for SPECTRES, he'll never forgive them, forgive us. He could barely stand the sight of me…I think we may have really lost him this time."

The sad silence that followed only added to the growing sense of unease that was permeating the small conference room on Arcturus Station where several members of the Shepard family had gathered to discuss a few recent and unpleasant events.

"I can't believe one of Hunter's boys…damn." Hawkins lamented.

"The worst part is that Mal was right. We can't just write it all off as a tragedy caused by the Leviathans turning those missing SPECTRES into thralls. Brennan and Eraslin were already out there riling up pirates and mercenaries before they were sent to Despoina, Krevrak's investigation confirmed it. Somebody on the Council screwed up and bad." Ethan seriously explained.

"Did you try explaining the situation to Mal after arriving in the Boltzmann System?"

"Dad, I don't think you understand just how furious he is right now. I'm the only Shepard he's willing to speak with and he can hardly tolerate me. I didn't want to make things any worse, so I just dropped Angelica and Vince off like I promised." Ethan explained.

"Poor Mal, I can't imagine what he's going through. What any of them are going through." Ashley empathized.

"Damn that Brennan, I always had a bad feeling about him." David angrily scoffed. "Too damn eager to please people higher up."

"Well thrall or not, Raymond Hunter put a stop to his ambitions. Based on what Krevrak said and what Mal mentioned, I think it's safe to assume that the Hunters are already moving on this." Ethan surmised.

"Shouldn't we do something? We could offer to help or-"

"Allie, Mal would just spit in our faces or worse." Ethan warned. "There's also the fact that this whole thing is raging across the Terminus Systems, outside of our jurisdiction. SPECTRES have never been welcome out there and now…I hate to say it but I think we're gonna have to let Mal and his people handle this. We should be ready to help if he asks but I won't count on him calling."

"Alright, Ethan, Darryl, I want you both to continue your investigations and keep it quiet. Something is definitely wrong on the Council and I want to know what. We can't afford to be divided right now especially with what's coming. The Leviathans are obviously behind this but somebody high up is helping them and I plan to put a stop to it." Shepard explained resolutely.

"This whole situation has got me worried about Leanne. Why the hell did I let her go off on her own to Illium of all places?"

"She's an adult Ethan and she'll be fine. Liara will keep an eye on her." Allie assured him.

"What's she doing there anyway?" Hawkins curiously inquired.

"Meeting a few potential clients and abusing her new discount with Serrice Technology." Ethan replied in exasperation before releasing a sigh. "Sometimes I wish she wasn't a genius."

"I know the feeling son." Shepard humorously sympathized before allowing his thoughts to drift to his granddaughter.

Leanne Shepard was a talented young woman and a tech genius of unparalleled skill but she also happened to be on a planet that was a focal trading point between the Terminus Systems and Asari Republics. It was a fairly dangerous place under ordinary circumstances but given the current situation, he couldn't help but share Ethan's concerns. He could only hope that a certain information broker could keep her out of harm's way and that a few wolves would lend her a hand if she happened to find herself in trouble and fate saw fit to have their paths cross…


	19. Chapter 19 Returning to the Fold

Chapter 19: Returning to the Fold

"Hey. It's been awhile. I've got a lot of things to tell you, not all of it's good though. Let's see, Lou's all grown up and leading his own soldiers. He's a real man now just like his Dad. Liv is commanding her own troops too. She's so beautiful and strong, we're really proud of her. Nate is…he's watching out for all of us in his own way. Ray's a warrior, strong like Mal, stubborn like me. Layla and Sasha get prettier by the day and twice as cunning. Jordy, our baby, he's determined not to let the others leave him behind. It won't be long before he's standing at Lou's side. You're probably wondering why I haven't mentioned Leon. Well, you see, something bad happened and now-"

At that moment, Tess couldn't continue and broke down into sobs. Mal had expected it and was ready to hold her. As they stood in the small cemetery outside one of the smaller cities that rested on Terra Nova, a warm and pleasant breeze suddenly swept past. In its wake, several scattered petals from a neighboring field that was filled with a vibrant array of flowers began fluttering across the cemetery. The area hadn't changed at all since they'd first begun their visits many years earlier after moving in together and it had continued to remain the same since their engagement, marriage and every other momentous event in their lives. The six headstones that represented each of Tess' fallen family members were still peacefully resting within their small isolated corner of space and time.

"Your family, they always manage to give us a sign." Mal quietly stated while appreciating the breeze.

"Yeah, I guess they do." Tess responded after drying her tears. "Can we stay for a little while longer?"

"As long as you need."

While the couple held each other, a sympathetic pair of friends observed the scene from a distant spot several meters away. They didn't want to intrude but they also didn't want to leave a certain Mercenary King's side for any reason at the moment.

"The children will never forgive us. You realize that don't you?"

"Everything that Mal has done, it's all been for their sakes and everything that I've done has been for his sake. I'm a selfish woman Taya and I always have been. When Mal and I have our own kids someday, maybe I'll be a better mother but for now I'm simply adequate and that will have to do. Every child has to face an inevitable parting with their parents at some point in their lives and our pups won't be any different. We've given them everything we possibly could and prepared them for the worst. I won't have any regrets when the time comes." Virgo explained resolutely.

"Sometimes I wish I could be as callous as you." Taya replied sadly while watching Mal and Tess. "Cherish has grown so much over the years. I'm not sure whether or not I've been a good enough mother to her but I will value the remaining time we have together. A few precious years or perhaps less depending on how quickly the enemy is moving…"

"I happen to think you did a remarkable job but I know how meaningless my praise is to you. If you don't want to take my word for it just peer into Mal's mind later, he feels the same way." Virgo teased.

"You're horrible! Even after all these years!"

"I know but I just can't help it." Virgo chuckled. "No matter what happens, we'll all be together. That is what we promised, remember?"

"Yes, it is. I suppose love can be a rather potent source of conviction."

Both women took a moment to smile at each other before turning their attention back towards their friends in the distance.

* * *

"Alright, you all know why you're here."

"Actually, we don't. Would you be so kind as to enlighten us, _your highness_?"

Jordan had been expecting the snide comment and was deeply regretting the fact that he'd extended an invitation to the condescending nuisance it belonged to. He was currently hosting a meeting in the living room of his family's mansion on Cartagena Station. A large number of teenagers from various backgrounds that included all of the youngest treasures had been invited to discuss their roles in the struggles to come.

"So Mr. Smartass didn't bother reading the message, I take it?" Jordan's friend Travis mockingly replied, garnering a few laughs in the process.

"I find that difficult to believe. Matthias never lets anything escape his attention." his batarian friend Damen scornfully added while tilting his head to the right.

"That's enough, all of you!" Cherish suddenly shouted. "Jordy, continue." she politely added while smiling at him.

"Thanks, Cherish." Jordan replied appreciatively while returning the smile, visibly agitating Matthias. "We all know how serious things have gotten recently. The veteran Wolves and Fangs, the new generations of both, the older treasures and Institute graduates, they're all gearing up for battle and I think we should do the same. Every superhuman here is the youngest of this era, we're the last ones who were born and everyone considers us babies. It's the same story for everyone else present who's hoping to help the Wolves and Fangs someday. No one expects anything from us so I say we surprise them." Jordan firmly suggested.

"Are you proposing that we all begin practicing how to hit things in order to solve our problems?" Matthias snidely inquired.

"There's an idea! If I hit you a few times, will you suddenly go away?" Travis humorously asked gaining even more laughs.

"Jordy, I get where you're coming from. But Mal always said we were free to do whatever we wanted once we got older and I'm the only 'baby treasure' other than Cherish who's planning to become a soldier." a sympathetic acquaintance stated from a sofa next to Travis.

"I understand that Wes but I think it would be a really good idea if all of you at least got some basic combat training." Jordan earnestly replied.

"Why?" another guest asked out of curiosity.

"Because…you guys are special." Jordan reluctantly responded.

"Meaning?" Matthias prodded.

"What Jordan means is that we can't have our minds seized by the arbiters and that probably means that the Leviathans won't be able to control us either." Cherish explained. "We found out when an arbiter tried to kill us with some kind of extrasensory attack on Khar'shan."

"I get it now." Wes thoughtfully replied before glancing around at his fellow teenaged superhumans. "So the twelve of us might be the only organic beings in the galaxy who can stand up to them without running the risk of having our brains fried."

"So does this mean we're being drafted?" Matthias sternly inquired.

"As if. Who would want your whiny ass in the field?" Travis quipped.

"No one's being drafted. I just think you should all learn how to defend yourselves. We all receive lessons on how to control our biotics, I just figured a little pistol training and hand-to-hand added to that wouldn't hurt." Jordan continued. "And everyone who is planning to become a soldier can join me during our free time in some extracurricular lessons with a few crazy old men." he humorously added.

"It probably couldn't hurt to be a little prepared."

"Pistol basics…I guess that's cool."

"I won't have to learn how to box will I? I couldn't take a punch to save my life!"

"Relax, it'll probably be counter-strikes, throws, joint locks and a few other simple techniques. I'm in."

"Me too! Maybe I can learn how to do all that insane stuff with a sword like Julian and Jordy!"

The murmurs of agreement quickly spread and before long all of the young superhumans had agreed to Jordan's proposal including a reluctant detractor.

"I still say we should leave this to the older kids and the adults." Matthias sighed.

"And I said we should've left your annoying ass off the guest list but Jordy's a nice guy, so here we are." Travis quickly countered.

"Then it's settled. I'll start making the arrangements later but for now, let's have some fun. Party in the game room!" Jordan announced, instantly gaining a flood of cheers.

"Jordy, for what it's worth, I respect what you're trying to do. I've got a feeling this won't be over by the time we all graduate." Wes honestly stated after the others had left.

"Thanks, Wes. I don't want to force anybody into anything but we've got to be prepared. I may not be the head of the family but I still intend to protect everyone who lives in our territories." Jordan earnestly stated causing Cherish to lean up and kiss him.

"At least wait until you're alone." Travis quipped.

"Their displays of affection have been increasing lately. Garr's lucky that he was able to join Lou's crew in order to combat the pirates and arbiters. He gets to avoid these annoying displays." Damen added.

"You know Matthias might actually take this seriously just so he can get strong enough to beat you someday." Wes joked.

"Let him try. It's not like I plan to stand around doing nothing myself. There are guys I have to catch up to, amazing guys." Jordan responded determinedly while thinking of his older brother Lucas and the warrior who was currently his only rival. "Julian, you won't be Rika and Libra's only prodigy for long. I swear it." he quietly added.

"Jordy, when you finally do set out on your own, let me know. I'll be looking for a crew to join and I've got a feeling yours will be pretty damn cool." Wes requested before extending a fist to Jordy who quickly bumped it with his own.

"Count on it, Wes."

Afterwards, his friend promptly departed to join the others on one of the higher floors of the house. While climbing the stairs, he briefly brushed past Jordan's twin sisters one of whom took a moment to observe him out of curiosity.

"Join me he says. That guy could easily have a crew of his own once we graduate. Dad definitely has an eye for the best." Jordan joked while observing Wes' ascent up the steps.

"Have you finished your little meeting yet? We'd like to have use of the living room now." Layla playfully teased.

"Yeah, we're done. Feel free to lounge around to your heart's content, _Princess_."

"You'll be punished for that later, right Sasha?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. You know we don't tolerate talking back. Prepare to polish all of our shoes later and reorganize them once you're done." her twin responded after being momentarily distracted.

"Like hell I will! I'm through taking your crap-"

"Stop trying to show off in front of Cherish and your little friends. They all know who really controls things around here." Layla ordered while smiling.

"We should've run upstairs with everyone else." Travis whispered after shivering slightly.

"Agreed. Let's rectify that mistake now." Damen concurred. A moment later they both bolted up the steps, leaving their friend to face his sinister sisters alone.

"Those spineless, gutless, sissy ass-They follow me into battle against yahg but punk out when it comes to my sisters. Pathetic." Jordan bitterly lamented.

"Don't be upset that they know the drill, Jordy. Now, are you going to be a good boy and do what we say? Or are we going to have to add a few more chores to teach you a lesson?" Sasha mischievously inquired.

"I guess some things never change." a voice cheerfully announced after a pair of footsteps began echoing from the foyer. A moment later, two familiar figures suddenly appeared in the living room.

"Vince! Angelica!" Jordan gleefully shouted before rushing over to greet them. "Damn, it's good to see you guys!" he happily stated after receiving hugs from each.

"Jordy, you've gotten taller again and you're…muscly. That's such an embarrassing thing to have to say about my little brother." Angelica lamented before laughing.

"Told you. He's as tall as me now, just wait. In a couple more years he'll be another Lou or Ray." Vince joked. "Is that Cherish? As pretty as ever I see." he casually added before opening his arms. "You aren't too old to hug me now are you?"

"Same old Vince." Cherish replied in amusement before accepting his hug.

"Watch yourself Vince. You wouldn't want to piss her boyfriend off." Jordan joked while smirking proudly.

"Took you long enough." Vince responded in a nonchalant manner before turning his attention back to Cherish. "You had to make the first move didn't you?"

"Of course I did."

"Hey!" Jordan shouted indignantly after a few laughs erupted.

"Layla, did you happen to miss me too?" Vince playfully pondered after catching sight of another family member.

"I guess." she replied drolly before eventually making her way over and hugging him and Angelica. "You picked a confusing time to return." she quietly added afterwards.

"I know. I'm sorry I wasn't here when everything-"

"Apologies are meaningless, Vince. Absence and actions speak volumes about a person. Remember that." Sasha coldly interrupted before making her way back up the stairs without a second glance at her older siblings.

"Don't pay any attention to her. She's still…I'll talk to her." Layla sympathetically offered before quickly rushing off to follow her twin.

"I can't say I'm surprised. Everyone must hate me." Vince lamented.

"Yeah, they do." Jordan replied honestly causing Cherish to elbow him. "Sorry but it's true and Vince needs to be on his guard. Dad and the others aren't here right now but Wrandok is and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to see you, either of you."

"He's always hated me, so I'm used to it." Angelica calmly stated.

"I don't think either of you get it." Jordan continued. "This whole thing has soured everyone on the Alliance, Citadel and practically every government outside of the Terminus Systems. Vince, I know you had your reasons but when you left a lot of people were pretty hurt and upset. Then that mess with the SPECTRES, pirates and mercs happened. It was a full on war for awhile and everyone was fighting it."

"Everyone except me."

"Vince, I'm glad you're back. I'm glad that you're both back but I might be the only one. If Dad or Lou were here…Listen, you should probably stay out of sight until Dad does get back. There's plenty of room around here and-"

"I'm not hiding, Jordy." Vince sternly interjected. "I came here to pay my respects to Leon and Keiko and to check on everyone. I won't cower in some isolated corner of the mansion just because a few people are angry with me. Now do me a favor and point out where I can find their memorials."

"Vince-Fine. But at least wait for me to finish entertaining my guests so I can go with you. At least that way-"

"Jordy, I can handle myself." Vince assured him.

"So can I." Angelica agreed.

"We really shouldn't let them go off on their own. Some of the Wolves and Fangs who were deployed on Tuchanka to hunt down the Blood Pack have just returned." Cherish cautioned.

"Jordy, we need to do this, I need to do this." Vince insisted.

After a minute of hesitation, Jordan finally relented. "Alright, you win. But hurry back and try not to draw any attention to yourselves."

* * *

Less than hour later, Vince and Angelica found themselves staring at two enormous and intricately carved stone tablets that had been erected in the center of the Hunter's Haven district. They each bore the name of the deceased whom they were built to honor and the surrounding area was surrounded by flowers, candles, daggers, murals and an assortment of other tributes from the warriors and residents who'd mourned the passing of the two young lovers.

"God, it's real. This really happened. They actually died. Part of me was hoping-Oh, Leon." Angelica wept.

"You both deserved better than this, far better than this." Vince whispered. "I won't let it happen again. Never again, I swear it." he quietly vowed.

They both continued to mourn in their own way before being approached by several others who'd come to pay their respects and weren't thrilled with their presence.

"Son of a bitch! You've got a lot of nerve showing your face back here!"

Vince recognized the voice almost immediately and quickly turned around to see several of the younger members of the Terminus Wolves glaring at him, each one a superhuman and each one an old friend that he'd walked away from.

"Meena, it's good to see you-"

"SHUT UP!"

The young woman in Hellhound Armor who was staring daggers at him wouldn't be calmed easily, he knew that based on experience.

"Meena, take a breath. We knew there was a chance he'd come back."

"Dylan, it's been awhile." Vince cordially stated while greeting his former second-in-command. "So you've been the one leading the team since-"

"Since you left to be with your-"

"Meena, be respectful. She is Mal's daughter." a soft-spoken and herculean colleague advised while observing everyone.

"Zeke, I've missed our chats."

"Vince, you shouldn't have come here, especially now." the giant sadly informed him. "I'm afraid that regardless of what Mal says, you've forfeited the right to call this place home."

"He has every right to call this place home! He was raised here the same as all of you and now he's here to mourn our brother-"

"Shut. Your. Mouth." Meena quietly seethed before Angelica could continue. "This worthless turncoat walked away. He walked away from us, his family, his friends and worst of all Mal. But he still loves you, still forgives you. WHY?!"

"Meena, let it go." Dylan advised.

"I won't." Meena defiantly replied. "I want to know why. Why does Mal love you so much? You turned your back on everything he gave you just to play house in Alliance Space with his Shepard bastard. He gave you everything, damn it! Even his name!" she screamed before suddenly punching Vince in the face.

"Angelica, don't!" Vince commanded as his girlfriend's biotics began flaring. "Let her keep going."

"He picked us all up, rescued all of us. I can still remember lying on that cold floor inside one of Equinox's labs, my insides burning, every cell in my body praying for death. And then a crash-Some nameless dragoon flying through the wall and falling dead in front of me. A second later, Mal. The infamous Terminus Hunter strolling in and looking at me and then the others who were dying. 'I'm getting you all out of here' I can still recall those words and I remember how he carried me from that hellhole in his arms. How he gave us all a home. But he gave you more, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did." Vince quietly agreed.

"He adopted you and made you one of his heirs. Not only that, but you became his enforcer, his right hand. He trusted you with everything and even now, he'd still trust you with everything. Why?! Tell me why, damn it!" she shrieked before punching him yet again.

"Some of his own children, his flesh and blood children, don't have the privileges that he gave you. And what did you do? You fucking walked away! Pirates, rival mercs, aliens and SPECTRES attack us and you're nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, poor Leon and Keiko…Goddamn you, Mal was probably still planning to extend an invitation to the wedding, an offer to the son who walked away from him."

"Meena, don't do this to yourself."

"I can't help it, Zeke." the young woman angrily replied while trembling with rage. "You know what makes it worse? We all know why. Why he gets all the chances, privileges and passes-it's because he's special, a genius. We knew it from the moment we all started school together and maybe Mal realized it when he found him. Oh he has his favorites, it was inevitable wasn't it? Julian's the perfect warrior, Grace is a flower that was born of filth, Rabbit's a runt who can get anything done and there are more. There are always more. But you know what? I can't hate them. For all the attention they get, they pay it back in equal measure. Julian and Grace were on the frontlines fighting with Lou and Liv when Heshtok was being attacked. Rabbit almost died at least a dozen times when he was stealing info from the raiders. And you? How was your vacation, Vince?"

A cold silence followed Meena's tirade as she and her companions stared back a Vince and Angelica.

"You don't deserve it. Not his love, not his name, none of it." she bitterly added before spitting in Vince's face.

"How dare you! What gives you the right-"

"Do yourself a favor and go home, _Shepard_. I'm not Stan, Adriana, Shannon, Giselle, Dylan or any of the other treasures who'll go out of their way to be polite to you. I'm the daughter who Mal will never notice but will always be loyal to him."

"Meena, I think you've said enough." Dylan commented in exasperation. "Vince, what are you doing here?

"Been wondering that myself."

Everyone immediately turned around to identify the newest arrival who'd suddenly appeared. Wrandok was standing with a pair of his warriors observing the whole altercation in amusement.

"Wrandok, it's always a pleasure to have your company." Zeke politely greeted.

The old krogan simply nodded before fixing his eyes on Vince. "I decided to come out here today and try my hand at these human rituals. I figure I owe Leon that much. He was a good cub, loyal and devoted. Not a pitiful disappointment like you."

"You think I don't know that? They're all better men than me." Vince earnestly responded after wiping his face.

"Does saying that make you feel better? You really are pathetic."

"Why are you so contemptible?!" Angelica raged.

"Did you come back here because you feel bad? Because Mal said you could? If so, then hurry up and be on your way. There have been more than enough tears shed these past few weeks and yours won't make any difference." Wrandok scoffed while ignoring her.

"I came because I wanted to say goodbye to my brother and…because I want to return to the Wolves." Vince confessed.

"Vince?! What are you saying?!"

"Angelica all of this occurred while I was gone and I can't let it happen again. No more Hunters are going to fall as long I'm around."

"You think it's that simple?" Wrandok asked placidly.

"Isn't it?" Meena angrily spat. "All he has to do is ask and Mal will give him whatever he wants even after everything that's happened."

"That's true but it won't get him anyone's respect or loyalty." Wrandok mused. "Who's to say you won't just change your mind again if that girl twists your arm?"

"I never forced Vince into anything! He offered to come live with me!" Angelica shouted in a fury.

"What do you want me to do Wrandok? I'm asking you because I know that earning your respect will get me everyone else's. I know they won't all forgive me overnight but the least I can do is get a portion of their trust back."

"Vince, think about what you're saying and who you're dealing with." Dylan warned.

"I have to do this and I'm ready for whatever the old man throws at me." Vince adamantly stated.

"If you really mean that, then follow me." Wrandok gruffly responded before turning and walking off.

"Are you certain about this, Vince? About returning and accepting whatever penance that Wrandok demands of you?" Zeke cautiously asked.

"Yeah, I am. I wasn't here for you guys, for my brothers or for my family. I have to make up for that and I have to see to it that I never make that mistake again." Vince firmly replied before marching off after Wrandok and his men.

Sometime later, they all found themselves outside the entrance of the Terminus Wolves' Den on Cartagena. The area in front of the main doors was lined on each side by Wolves and Fangs who'd been armed with the latest model Claymore shotguns. The sight instantly unnerved Angelica who didn't have a good feeling about their plans.

"Your brand, the mark that you renounced when you left to chase after that girl. Show it to everyone." Wrandok ordered as all of the Terminus Wolves and Fangs set their sights on Vince.

Without hesitation he pulled off his shirt, revealing the Terminus Wolf tattoo adorning the left side of his chest.

"If you really wanna come back and wash away the shame that you got by leaving in the first place, all you have to do is live up to that mark and what it means to wear it. Make your way to the Den and go inside. That's all you have to do." Wrandok explained.

Vince already knew it wouldn't be that simple. Nothing was ever that simple when it came to Wrandok and the Claymores that were being prepped by his former colleagues was proof of that.

"Angelica, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens you won't interfere."

"Vince, are you insane?! They're going to kill you! And I won't stand here and watch while they do it!"

"Then turn your head." Meena coldly ordered while cocking her own Claymore and joining the others.

"Promise me Angelica. Promise me that you won't get involved." Vince persisted.

"Vince, you don't have to do this!"

"Angelica!"

"Fine!"

"Vince, if you survive, I'd like to resume our discussion about Sun Tzu later." Zeke calmly stated before also joining the mob.

"Damn it, Vince. Look at the situation you're putting me in this time." Dylan said in frustration. "We have to do this, _they_ have to do this. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, Dylan."

"You won't be able to walk away again either. It won't matter what Mal or Lou have to say about it." Dylan reminded him.

"Dylan, I know. Now get going. I'm ready." Vince calmly reiterated.

"Mal is gonna be seriously pissed when he gets back." Dylan sighed before finally joining the others.

Once all of the Wolves and Fangs were in position, Vince took a deep breath before turning to face Angelica. "Remember, no interfering." Before she could argue further, he gently kissed her and then turned back around to meet his fate.

The first few steps of his trek were uneventful but the moment he crossed the line of fire, the trial began. Concussive rounds began hammering his body from multiple directions as every young Terminus Wolf and Fang fired their Claymore. They were each taking exactly one shot before putting their weapons away but the bombardment was still brutal. Halfway to the Den's door, one of Vince's legs was broken and two thirds of the way there, his ribs and vertebrae were shattered but he still managed to press forward. He continued to advance on his hands and knees through the hail of gunfire, ignoring Angelica's terrified screams and his own mounting injuries. When he finally reached the door, he couldn't actually see it. Both of his eyes were swollen shut and he could barely stay conscious. While leaning against the final barrier between him and redemption, he suddenly fell forward inside his old HQ after an old krogan with an odd way of showing his affection opened the way for him. The moment Vince felt the familiar surface of the entrance hall to his old dwelling, he immediately passed out.

"Troublesome whelp." Wrandok grumbled while standing over him. Afterwards he picked him up and began carrying him to the Vera Memorial Hospital where he'd undoubtedly be spending the next few weeks recovering.

* * *

Vince had no idea how long he spent unconscious but when he finally awoke, Mal was sitting by his bedside with a stern but worried look on his face. "Why?"

"Because they needed to know that they could count on me. I lost their trust Mal, this may not get it back but it's a step in the right direction."

"Vince, I thought you wanted out of all this. You had my blessing, you were free to leave. Why? And don't tell me it's because of what happened to Leon and Keiko. That was my fault, my failure, not yours."

"Mal, you don't understand. I'm their big brother. I promised I'd be there for all of them, that I'd protect them. Not just them but everyone, the treasures, the Wolves, the Fangs, the vorcha, I swore I'd do everything in my power to keep them all safe. But I didn't. I let myself get swept away in a dream, a beautiful, perfect dream but still a dream. I…I never really felt at ease out there. I was happy with Angelica but…I never really felt right. I can't really explain it."

"You don't have to, I understand."

And he did. Vince's feelings were a perfect parallel of his own whenever he ventured into 'civilized' space during his youth to spend time with Allie and her family. The similarities were painful to observe and he found himself wishing that he could fix things somehow as a father.

"If you really wanted to come back, all you had to do was ask. I don't care what any of those brats or Wrandok said, you didn't owe them anything."

"Maybe, maybe not but I wanted to start fresh." Vince said earnestly.

Mal simply shook his head in exasperation before placing a hand on Vince's face. "You know I've already replaced you. Julian and Rabbit are helping Lou right now but they've both done more than their fair share to make up for your leaving. I can't just waive them off when they get back, especially Julian. He's shaping up to be one of Lou's best and part of _his_ inner circle. Liv trusts him too."

"It'll be better if I'm just a grunt for awhile anyway. Dylan can keep command of the team assuming any of them actually want me back." Vince replied while groaning as he adjusted himself on his bed. Mal? Why did you choose me? Of all the kids that you saved, why did you choose to make me your son?"

"Because I felt like it." Mal replied plainly before bending over to kiss his forehead. "And I do whatever I damn well please." he humorously added before getting to his feet. "Get some rest and try not to be too noisy. The hospital is pretty full right now thanks to Virgo 'disciplining' everyone who was involved in that dumbass stunt. She also gave Wrandok a really nasty scar to add to his collection."

Vince laughed a little as Mal walked to the door of his room. "Vince, whatever you do in life, make sure you do it because it's what you want. With that being said, welcome home."

After saying his piece, Mal quietly departed and for the first time since he'd left many months earlier, Vince felt content.

"I hope Virgo put the fear of God in them!" Angelica fumed as her father passed by in the hallway.

"I think she did. She didn't even leave any for me." Mal joked.

"Dad, how do you live out here like this? I don't understand any of it and I don't think I ever will."

"You probably won't Angel but that's okay."

"Is it? I can't watch Vince go through something like that again. I just can't. I've always known that living out here was different, that being a Terminus Wolf was different but…while Vince and I were staying on the Citadel, we went apartment hunting every day. The plan was simple, I'd request a transfer to a posting nearby and he'd look into any open private security positions. Uncle Will even offered to pull a few strings to get him a job in C-Sec. But he always found something wrong with the places we looked at and kept hesitating when it came to the C-Sec offer. Something was always pulling him away and now I know what it was."

Mal came to a stop after she finished and turned to face her. "I really wish I had an answer for you Angel, some magic words to help make everything right but I don't. Watching you all grow up and fall in love, it's been beautiful at times and agonizing at others. I'm a pretty simple guy at the end of the day so I'm not really sure if there's any useful advice I can give, so I'll just say this-If you really love each other, then you'll make it work somehow. It might take a few centuries but you've both got the time, remember?"

After being playfully shoved by his daughter, Mal placed an arm around her. "Dad, how long are you going to be around this time?"

"I don't know. Long enough to buy you a pony?" Mal joked.

"No more jokes Dad, be real with me."

"Long enough to clean up the Council's mess." he seriously replied. "And see at least one of my kids get married." he humorously added while squeezing her.

"Dad, about Leon…I'm really sorry. I know you two had a special kind of relationship that was different from what you have with the rest of us."

"I was just Pop to him, no matter what. And he was the one who always made _me_ laugh. I'll never stop missing him Angel."

After taking a moment to place an arm around Mal, Angelica was suddenly struck with a thought. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Knock, Knock."

The smile that appeared on her father's face instantly told her that she was on the right track.


	20. Chapter 20 The First Strike

Chapter 20: The First Strike

Batarian raiders appeared to be a constant threat regardless of the era. The bands of pirates and slavers existed since the time of the Hegemony and continued to operate within the lawless regions of space even after the wars against the Reapers and Trio. No matter how many losses they suffered in counterattacks or peacekeeping operations, they always seemed to recover after a few years and recoup their numbers. The largest concentration of their ilk in recent memory had been the infamous Blades of Khar'shan who were soundly annihilated by the Terminus Hunter and his forces during their peak. Nevertheless, a few scattered remnants still managed to escape the purge and regroup with others of their kind across the Terminus Systems eventually forming yet another sizeable group of outlaws who were eager to prey on anyone unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Having been killed and driven from many of the areas where they dominated in the past, most notably the Nemean Abyss, these bitter criminals were eager to reclaim what they believed were their territories. This obsession led them to cutting a deal with a certain SPECTRE and collaborating with their most hated rivals all in an attempt to destroy the empire of one man. Having failed in that pursuit, they now found themselves in an unwelcome situation. They were fully aware that the Terminus Hunter would retaliate for their incursions and that his forces not only outnumbered their own but were also better armed and better trained. Their situation was desperate and had only grown more dire since retreating to their last bastion of security, Lorek. It was the final stronghold they possessed but also vulnerable now that they'd lost so many ships in their failed invasion attempt against Heshtok. They needed time to recover, time they knew their enemy wouldn't allow. Given the severity of their plight, it didn't take much convincing on the arbiters' part when they approached the miscreants with an offer of weapons in exchange for the captives they had imprisoned. Unfortunately for all of them, a certain group of Hunters had just arrived in the Fathar System and launched a surprise attack against the unwary and battered remains of the Batarian Raiders' fleets.

"It looks like we caught them off guard. Nice." Nate quipped while standing with his brothers, sister and their friends on the Fenrir's bridge.

The truth of his statement was evident all across the system where the wreckage and debris from several destroyed cruisers and frigates were already littering the area. The young Hunters and their forces had opened fire with their thanix cannons the moment they dropped from FTL, completely decimating a significant portion of the enemy's already meager defenses. They were now in the process of wiping out the rest and preparing to make their move on the planet's surface.

"Have our frigates target what's left of the enemy's escort vessels and back them up as necessary. It's time to send word to our ground troops. We're going in." Lucas announced.

"Rabbit, would you happen to have any useful intelligence that you could give us? You did infiltrate this place not long ago." Julian politely inquired.

"A few things. First off, these bastards have heavily fortified compounds all over the place. We won't be able to just walk in and say 'hi' without getting a serious welcome from a few dozen batarian enforcers. Luckily, the biggest compounds are all connected by a network of underground utility tunnels that all converge into one primary base that sits in the center of Jalnor or what used to be the capital before these scumbags moved in and took over. You know, another good thing about clearing these jackasses out of here will be the fact that Cralle and the Batarian Federation will get another decent place to set up shop. This was a legitimate colony in the past, even if it was under the Hegemony's control." Rabbit explained.

"If by 'legitimate' you mean seized from asari, then I guess you're right." Grace added wryly while monitoring the ship's approach and firing on a few damaged enemy cruisers.

"Cralle's welcome to the place as far as I'm concerned. But we will have to do some cleaning first. What kind of opposition can we expect to face other than the usual enforcers?" Lucas calmly asked.

"Well, me and Ghost Fang didn't meet any the last time we were here but chances are good they've got at least a few biotics. There are bound to be a couple of slashers roaming around and a few other threats utilizing that brutal tech armor of theirs." Rabbit informed him.

"Good, I can't wait to tear apart that shitty blade armor they're so proud of." Ray eagerly stated while cracking his knuckles.

"By all means, go nuts Bruiser." Rabbit joked.

"So, a central command structure connected to a few smaller, well guarded installations." Lucas mused.

"Lou, if they're selling slaves off in large numbers-"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing Liv. We have to get to that main base and I'm guessing we'll have to use the backdoors." Lucas surmised. "With any luck, we'll be able to catch them by surprise before they finish conducting their depraved little trade-off."

"That sounds like the best way to handle it to me. Trying to get entry into the main compound through a direct assault will be suicide. The security outside the perimeter is ridiculous." Nate cautioned.

"How the hell would you know?" Ray scoffed.

"Rabbit told me earlier, duh." Nate casually lied.

"Grace, contact the other ships. I want the Amazons and Beast Brigade units to begin deploying in shuttles. Once they reach the surface, their orders are to secure the other compounds and free any captives that are being held. I'll have Thorn and my boys take one from here and join them." Lucas ordered.

"Jarax and my guys can help too. They've been eager to get their hands dirty since we left." Ray added.

"I'll have Sonia lead the Amazons here. I'm guessing we get the fun part for ourselves." Olivia mused.

"You got it Sis. We're gonna split up into teams and breach each of the largest complexes that are linked to the main base in Jalnor. Once we've secured them, we'll make our way into the underground tunnels and meet up at the command center to shut the raiders down once and for all. Now let's gear up and move out." Lucas commanded.

* * *

"Do you remember that restaurant you took to me to a year ago? It was a really nice, cozy little bistro on Terra Nova. The owner was so friendly and the pasta primavera was to die for. The wine was delicious, we had a quaint spot that overlooked the garden outside and overall the atmosphere was just perfect." Rain casually commented while walking with Lucas.

They had just obliterated the resistance inside their compound of choice and were now proceeding towards the utility tunnels beneath it in order to reach the central command facility in the former capital where the others would join them if all went according to plan.

"Okay…so you're telling me that you wanna go back? That can be arranged, once the whole arbiters and rogue SPECTRES situation gets settled." Lucas responded in a somewhat perplexed manner.

"I'm simply informing you that it's officially on my list of favorite locales to visit if you ever want to take me someplace special." Rain continued with a hint of annoyance.

After kicking through a pair of deceased batarian enforcers, Lucas suddenly came to a stop and smiled. "Vacation stop number one, plotted. Is there anywhere else my lady would care to tour?" he suavely added while embracing her.

"I'll let you know." she replied while wrapping her arms around him. After the couple shared a rather passionate kiss, Lucas gently ran a finger across the chest plate of his girlfriend's armor. "Are you already anticipating how you'll peel all of this off later?" she teased.

"Actually I was admiring the design." Lucas replied honestly while gazing at the image of a silver wolf riding a rain cloud. "Libra really is talented."

"Mom would tell you that's a given. She and Dad put a lot of work into the Storm Queen Armor."

"That's obvious based on the specs. It's just as advanced as mine." Lucas admitted. "Oh well, it's kind of a shame that it won't be taking me half as much work to get you out of it later."

Rain responded with a look of mild incredulity and amusement. "Nate is a bad influence on you."

"And you're a damn distraction of the worst kind." Lucas joked before kissing her again. "This is exactly why we should've gone with different teams." he added in exasperation.

"Live and learn, wolf." Rain whispered before pulling him into another kiss.

* * *

"So, how've you been?"

"Fine, why do you ask?"

"Liv, do I really need to spell it out?"

"Ray, I'm okay. I mean it. You don't have to worry about me."

As Olivia and Ray strolled past their unsurprisingly prolific body count while making their way towards the utility tunnel in their complex, Ray found himself eager to gauge his sister's emotional state. It had been a year since they'd seen each other and the circumstances of their reunion had been tumultuous to say the least. Despite her apparent recovery from a previous heartbreak, he was still concerned.

"You're not planning to run wild again or anything, are you?"

The murderous glare that Olivia shot at him instantly confirmed that he'd gone too far. "That was a mistake. Understand? And you all promised that you wouldn't bring it up again."

"I-I…my bad." Ray stammered. "Listen Liv, I worry. I can't help it. With everything that happened with Vince and after Vince-My point is, I just don't want to see you get hurt again."

"Ray, you're sweet but like I said before, I'm alright." Olivia assured him.

They continued walking for several seconds before Ray worked up the nerve to raise the next issue that was bothering him. "So, you and that fake ass samurai…you seem close."

Olivia immediately came to a stop and turned to face her towering brother who promptly flinched the moment she took a step forward. "Julian is a friend, a really good friend. Too good." she fervently stated in a surprisingly warm tone before returning to her hostile demeanor. "He means a lot to me. I'm warning you Ray, don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Right, so does your 'friend' know about your little-"

The punch to the stomach that quickly brought him to his knees was thrown by one of the very few people in the galaxy who was capable of overpowering him and she was quite livid. "Not another word, Ray. Not one fucking word. Stay out of my personal life and stay away from Julian."

Olivia didn't bother waiting for him to return to his feet before storming off which was unfortunate because he really did need a minute to recover.

"Damn, her punches actually got stronger. If I wasn't wearing armor right now…" he coughed before staring down at his black and red gear emblazoned with the unique symbol of a wolf carrying a hammer in its mouth. "Nemean Conqueror Armor, huh? I guess I still have to grow into it, Dad." he quietly added before finally returning to his feet and chasing after his irate sister.

* * *

"So, uh, you and Liv have been getting pretty friendly lately." Rabbit casually stated while traversing a long, dimly lit corridor.

He and his companions had just secured their target complex and were now heading for the main facility that it was connected to via underground tunnel.

"Is that strange? We do happen to be friends." Julian calmly replied while continuing his trek.

"Yeah, I mean no, I mean-Damn it." Rabbit grumbled.

"Olivia is a strange woman but also fascinating. I'm surprised she doesn't have more suitors." Garr mused.

"Yeah, well, her brothers are all dangerous, obscenely powerful and overprotective. Plus she's got me and I'd never-Wait, what do you mean 'more' and be specific." Rabbit demanded.

"Perhaps I misunderstood." Garr pondered while observing Julian.

"You did. I believe we've been over this. Liv and I are just friends, good friends, but friends nonetheless." Julian firmly explained. "And I doubt anyone will ever be able to fill the vacancy that Vincent left in her heart, least of all me. The best that we can can hope for, that I can hope for, is that she continues to smile and not allow herself to be consumed by that wound again."

"Fucking Vince." Rabbit spat after several moments of silence. "Why that guy? Seriously?"

"I'm as confounded as you on that point. Granted, I've only ever met him a few times at meetings. He didn't seem particularly extraordinary but then again, I know little of what women find desirable." Julian confessed.

"You should kick his ass." Rabbit suddenly suggested before smirking.

"And what exactly would that solve?"

"Probably nothing but it would make me feel a helluva lot better." Rabbit admitted. "You didn't spend as much time around the Hunter house as I did when we were kids so you wouldn't know. That idiot got everything handed to him on a silver platter-Mal adopted him, he became his right hand man, the first new generation Terminus Wolf and as if that wasn't enough, Liv went and fell for the jackass. I was on cloud nine when that bastard finally turned eighteen and left the station. I was finally free to spend time with Liv and the others without him popping up and lingering around. It's like I always said, let Angelica have him, they both deserve each other."

"Based on his recent departure, I'd say you got your wish. As for Angelica, I can't say I have an opinion of her one way or the other. We've never actually met and I've never been compelled to introduce myself. I've heard she's a powerful biotic and an attractive woman." Julian replied placidly.

"Liv has a better rack." Rabbit bluntly responded. "It must run in the family or Tess' side anyway. Layla and Sasha are already bursting at the seams and they're only sixteen."

"You're a sad, crude, disgraceful little man, aren't you?" Julian scoffed.

"Don't play high and mighty with me, Crimson Tiger." Rabbit countered in amusement. "You may like to play the cool, aloof, loner but you do your share of checking Liv out whenever you think no one's looking just like me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Is that right? So two days ago, you didn't take a glance when she was all sweaty from her workout routine in the training room?"

"How do you even-No, I won't allow myself to be drawn into your perversions."

"And you didn't start eyeing her when she licked her lips after eating that chocolate mousse-"

"Enough!" Julian irritably shouted. "Why was I subjected to the torment of being teamed up with the likes of you?"

"Bad luck I guess." Rabbit quipped.

Afterwards, he scurried ahead while laughing causing Julian to grow even more agitated.

"Julian, I know little of human mating rituals or pairing habits but I do recognize connections when I see them. There is more between you and Olivia and I'm certain you've already realized this. What I can't understand is why you're working so hard to deny it. Hesitation will benefit neither of you." Garr advised.

"Wise words, Garr. Unfortunately, I can't heed them." Julian sadly lamented, confusing his friend.

A few moments later, the duo caught up to Rabbit who quickly motioned for them to remain silent. As the trio reconvened at the base of a stairway that led to the ground floor of the main complex that was their destination, they started to hear voices above and screams of horror.

"You got your product as promised, now where are our guns?"

" **The human specimens are subpar and we have little use for batarians. The asari are too few in number to be of any practical use and the drell are inconsequential. You will receive half the agreed upon payment."**

"What?!"

" **Or nothing. I'd choose carefully if I were you."**

"Somebody help us! Don't give us to those things!"

"Damn you all! I won't be some experiment for that monster!"

"Shut up, all of you! Fine, half."

" **Prepare the specimens for transport. I must contact Augury."**

"I can do that. I'll inform Vellus while I'm at it."

"Aw crud." Rabbit whispered. "We just had to hit the jackpot."

"Indeed, it seems our fortune is rather unique." Julian placidly agreed.

"This may pose a challenge." Garr thoughtfully added.

"Rabbit, we'll need you to cause a distraction and begin hacking the defenses in the facility. Start by reprogramming the security measures in the room above us. Once you've finished, begin freeing the captives and leading them to safety. Garr can assist you. I'll deal with the arbiters and the SPECTRE." Julian suggested before pulling out his Lumina assault rifle.

"And the batarians? Okay Julian, you're tough. I get it but this is insane. We should wait for Lou and the others to get here." Rabbit cautioned.

"I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of awaiting them and neither do the prisoners up there. This may also be our only opportunity to take down one of the rogue SPECTRES. If I fall, I'll at least inflict damage to the enemy's forces before the others arrive and you will have freed the captives. It's a worthwhile risk, Rabbit." Julian explained.

"Why did I get stuck with Bushido McCrazy?" Rabbit sighed. "Fine, but if you die-Damn it, just don't die."

"Don't worry, Rabbit. I'll remain and aid Julian in his battle. It may not add much to our chances but it will at least ease my conscience." Garr announced before pulling out a Spark Surge heavy pistol

"I hate you both. I hope you know that." Rabbit humorously informed them before sneaking up the steps.

A moment later, chaos erupted above as a string of flashbang grenades and smoke bombs went off. While the confusion continued, the sound of several automated turrets could be heard firing along with several explosions. Upon hearing the gargled sound of another batarian raider falling dead after being torn apart by an automated turret, the sounds of several more explosions immediately followed.

" **It seems the Terminus Wolves have arrived and earlier than expected. Show yourselves, hiding is futile."**

The intense pressure inside of both Julian and Garr's heads made the declaration abundantly clear. After readying their weapons, both men rushed up the steps to face their enemy. The scene that awaited them was utter chaos. Batarian raiders and arbiter proletarians were lying dead everywhere while an empty holding cell that no doubt held prisoners only moments earlier was now standing empty behind the most dangerous looking arbiter that anyone had seen to date.

"The SPECTRE must have escaped." Julian regretfully surmised while scanning the area full of bodies. "But you still remain." he sternly added while eyeing the enormous foe standing before him.

The creature could've easily matched a geth juggernaut in terms of stature and was wearing the arbiters' signature carapace like armor with several modifications that set it apart from its brethren. The first being the miniature cannons that were mounted on its shoulders and the second was the fact that its armor appeared to be even more durable than that of the controllers. It also had a large orange square adorning its chest.

" **Ascended Human, Male. Has been encountered before in previous confrontations with the proletarians and controllers. Considered a high priority threat. Suppressor now engaging."**

The newly identified arbiter didn't waste any time before firing both of its shoulder cannons, carving wide swaths of destruction across the room as Julian sprinted across the area to avoid the mayhem.

"Suppressor, an appropriate title I suppose. He's certainly more lethal than the gun that he's named after." he angrily stated after diving behind a destroyed transport vehicle.

He then peered over his cover position and opened fire only to have his shots deflected by the monster's ridiculously powerful kinetic barrier.

"Of course, why wouldn't he be as well fortified as his colleagues?" Julian rhetorically pondered before firing a more concentrated shot.

After overheating his Lumina and barely making a dent in his adversary's shields, he once again went on the move as the Suppressor fired another devastatingly powerful energy volley that tore through his former cover position with relative ease. While running across the battlefield, Julian quickly switched weapons and drew his monomolecular while advancing on the Suppressor. The creature attempted to fire another energy barrage from its cannons but was interrupted after being hit with a potent overload that inflicted serious damage to its kinetic barrier. After taking notice of Garr who was already rushing towards him with a newly transformed riot shield, the suppressor immediately fired a small silver disk in the yahg's path that promptly expanded to the size of a dish before exploding as he rushed past it.

Before it could verify its target's demise, the creature quickly found itself on the receiving end of an electric slash that finally destroyed its kinetic barrier. With his adversary's shields finally down, Julian quickly executed a downward slash that cut through the suppressor's armor before putting his blade away and grabbing his Lumina. After firing a concentrated shot that ripped through his opponent's midsection, Julian prepared to finish his foe off with another blast but was almost beheaded when the creature suddenly created a pair of energy blades from its gauntlets. After evading the swipe and retreating a few steps, he watched in shock as the suppressor's armor began closing the wound he'd just made and recharging the monster's kinetic barrier.

"If I survive this, I'll have to inform the others that heavy weapons are the best means of dealing with your kind." he stated in between breaths. Afterwards, he once again put his Lumina away and pulled out his monomolecular blade while eyeing his opponent. "A contest of wills then, let's see who has the greater resolve."

The suppressor responded by opening fire with its shoulder cannons, forcing Julian to dodge yet again and resume his frantic dash around the now ramshackle ground floor of the base. The energy sweeps intensified as he continued his run from cover to cover until eventually none remained. Every pile of wreckage, rubble and scrap had been demolished by the suppressor's persistence.

"And so it begins." Julian calmly declared before taking a deep breath.

After locking eyes with his adversary, he increased his muscle mass and began rushing towards him. The creature prepared to fire another energy sweep but was promptly knocked off balance when a bombardment of arc grenades suddenly fell on it and destroyed its newly restored kinetic barrier. Before it could recover, it was jolted by another potent overload as Garr staggered towards its left flank.

"Julian, finish it!" he roared before being blasted backwards by an energy slug fired from one of the suppressor's cannons.

His transformed riot shield mitigated most of the damage but not enough to keep him standing afterwards. After closing in, Julian took advantage of his comrade's opening by destroying his foe's shoulder cannons with a biotic slash. He immediately followed up with a flurry of regular sword strikes, confusing his opponent who had primed his gauntlets in anticipation of another biotic attack. After slicing through the monster's left hand gauntlet, Julian was quickly hit with a back handed punch by his enemy's right before the creature extended an energy blade from the armored glove. The suppressor then executed its own slash but found the maneuver parried by Julian who retaliated by cutting through its last functioning gauntlet and impaling the monster with an electrified sword. After shoving his blade through the creature's previously wounded midsection, he began encasing his body in a lethal biotic aura.

"Mal said this armor would increase the power of biotic barriers. I hope that includes the destructive ones."

A split second later after enveloping himself in the savage biotic mantle, he also created an annihilation field before finally tearing through his adversary with both effects, preempting any hope of recovery.

"I normally try to avoid utilizing such brutal tactics but I suppose I am a tiger and provoking one will always get you the claws." Julian calmly announced while staring down at his enemy's eviscerated remains. Afterwards, he pulled his monomolecular blade from the creature's torso and sheathed it. "Garr, are you seriously hurt?"

"Not seriously, no. Though I do think my arm will be numb for quite some time." his friend responded while gingerly massaging his omni-gauntlet hand and approaching.

"That's good news because it appears we aren't finished yet." Julian seriously added as several squadrons of arbiters and batarians began pouring into the area with a vaguely familiar asari in armor at their lead who was being accompanied by a furious looking batarian biotic.

"Luchik, I think we can we offer you a better deal if you and your men help us deal with these mischievous wolves." she proposed while smiling at Julian and Garr.

"They were dead the moment they stepped foot down here." her companion snarled.

"Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking about you." Julian countered while readying his Lumina.

"Julian, you pick odd times to demonstrate a sense of humor." Garr lamented while prepping his Spark Surge and reshaping his omni-gauntlet into a riot shield. Their next battle was about to begin.


	21. Chapter 21 Raging Dragon

Chapter 21: Raging Dragon

Whether they believed their numbers or advanced armaments would lead to a quick victory, neither assumption was proving to be true at the moment for the raiders and their sinister weapons suppliers. Both Julian and Garr were putting up a remarkable struggle given the odds and causing far more losses to their opposition than anyone anticipated. After witnessing Julian cut down another pair of proletarians and vaporize a batarian enforcer with his Lumina, the mystery asari decided to call for backup.

"This one is far too annoying and stubborn." she grumbled after summoning her omni-tool.

Within moments a pair of controllers arrived to join the fray and immediately opened fire on Julian using their right hand gauntlets. The resulting energy blasts were quickly revealed to have homing properties and rapidly zeroed in on their target who barely reacted in time by creating a biotic sphere. The resulting explosion floored him and provided an opening for the opportunistic leader of the raiders who promptly yanked Julian towards him with a biotic lash and pummeled him with a two-handed blow that staggered him. He then attempted to execute him with a Samaritan heavy pistol but was quickly disarmed by his foe as Julian retaliated. After punching Luchik several times and bringing him to his knees, Julian was suddenly plagued by an immense pressure inside his skull that was growing worse by the second. While swaying slightly, he soon took notice of the controllers who were advancing towards him.

"I see…a distracted opponent is easier for you to influence." Julian mused before eventually screaming in agony while falling to the floor. His nose was already beginning to bleed and the pain inside his head was unlike any agony he'd ever experienced.

"Julian!"

Garr was unfortunately in no position to aid him and had his hands full with the countless batarian soldiers who were still pouring into the area.

"Be sure to gather a sample of his blood for Augury. Luchik can do whatever he wants with the corpse." the asari stranger coldly ordered while standing over Julian whose vision was slightly blurred.

A sharp kick to the ribs followed and then a knife was placed at his throat. "I'm going to bleed you human, slowly and painfully." Luchik quietly announced.

Before the madman could follow through on his threat, he and his companions were promptly blinded by a flashbang grenade. A moment later, Julian found himself being dragged across the room by a thoroughly exhausted Rabbit.

"Damn it! If you can actually get up, then do it! I'm not a superhuman or a muscle freak so hauling your ass outta here on my own just isn't in the cards!" he irritably shouted.

Julian quickly got to his feet and with some difficulty, joined Rabbit in a dash towards Garr who was already covering their retreat. "Rabbit, the captives-"

"Relax, I got them outside. A few of our guys have already made it into the city and they're keeping them safe while awaiting orders. It looks like our troops have liberated and secured the other compounds on this dump. We just need to finish up here." Rabbit quickly explained.

"Then let's do just that." Julian firmly agreed before pulling out his Lumina.

The duo then opened fire on their opposition who quickly responded by returning the favor. They were outnumbered by a huge margin and even more batarian biotics were arriving to join the skirmish. After narrowly avoiding several lethal barrages from the controllers, the pair promptly withdrew to Garr's position after the yahg tech specialist created a large shield pylon where they could all take cover.

"Okay, how tough is this thing?" Rabbit asked in between gunfire.

"Durable enough to withstand repeated assaults from conventional firearms, however-"

"However, the arbiters' weapons are anything but conventional." Julian finished for him. "This isn't a very ideal combat scenario."

"I don't know if I should be grateful when you're this calm or shitting my pants." Rabbit quipped before distracting a pair of batarian soldiers with a decoy and executing them with his Will-O-Wisp.

"I find his relative serenity rather reassuring." Garr admitted before firing an incineration blast at a proletarian whose shields he'd just stripped.

After a moment of consternation, Julian decided to make his next move. "The controllers and the asari SPECTRE are the most dangerous enemies present. That Luchik character is also a menace who can't be ignored. I'll engage them while you two deal with the raiders and proletarians. All we have to do is keep them occupied until the others arrive."

"Julian, once this is all over you're buying me a lot of alcohol." Rabbit humorously ordered.

"Very well, Rabbit." Julian calmly agreed while smiling.

Without any hesitation, he then pulled out his Lumina and created another biotic sphere around his body before darting from their cover position and opening fire on the controllers who were still flanking the asari and Luchik. After overheating the rifle, he switched to his monomolecular blade and increased his muscle mass. While preparing to make his advance on the controllers, he was suddenly hammered by a biotic charge after a batarian biotic collided into him. The raider then attempted to skewer him with several blades that sprouted from his armor after pulling him closer with a biotic lash. Julian instantly reacted by charging his sword with biotic energy and sinking it into his adversary's chest after arriving in midair. Afterwards, he once again created an ominous biotic aura around his body and tore across the battlefield towards the controllers. The moment their kinetic barriers collapsed from the power of his poison strike, he beheaded one with a blindingly fast swing of his monomolecular blade and seriously wounded its cohort with an electric slash.

"Filth!" Luchik roared in frustration before firing a warp at his adversary.

Julian responded by creating another biotic sphere that warded off his attack before unleashing a monstrous biotic slash that the asari quickly avoided by using Luchik as a human shield. Afterwards, she executed a series of back flips and darted behind a newly arrived wave of proletarians.

"You have a great deal to answer for and I won't allow you to escape this planet alive woman!" Julian angrily shouted moments before the wounded controller attempted to strike him with a newly formed energy shield that he instantly evaded before counterattacking with another potent electric slash, finally killing his third most dangerous foe.

"Oh, I think I will. Your chances on the other hand are far less certain." she giggled before summoning her omni-tool."

Moments later, another suppressor arrived after crashing through the ceiling. It immediately took aim at Julian who was already being overwhelmed by batarian biotics and proletarians.

"If it must end here, I'll at least clear a path for Liv and the others." Julian quietly vowed while readying his blade.

Before he could follow through on his final stand, an explosive particle shot from a Meteor machine gun suddenly knocked the suppressor off balance. Seconds later, a massive figure sporting tech armor and an usually powerful barrier suddenly barreled past while pummeling the horde of aggressors who were targeting Julian.

"I'm gettin' tired of saving your ass, samurai!" Ray raged before decimating a large portion of the mob with a biotic swing of his battle hammer.

"I'm not but that doesn't mean I won't get mad whenever you pull this garbage." Olivia sternly added after appearing in Ray's wake while surrounded in a vicious annihilation field. She quickly opened fire on the scattered batarian raiders with her Firefly submachine gun while Julian joined her with his Lumina.

"At least you don't have to hold me this time." Julian joked.

"You dying isn't funny." Olivia seriously stated while avoiding his eyes.

"Liv-"

"So, there's a SPECTRE down here after all." Olivia quickly cut in while glaring at the asari who was hiding amid a horde of proletarians.

"Yes, I'm not certain but I think she was assisting in the transaction that was taking place here." Julian informed her.

"She's mine."

"I understand."

Without another word, Julian launched a devastating electric slash at the mob of proletarians who were surrounding the asari SPECTRE and quickly followed up with several concentrated shots from his Lumina, killing several and putting the others on the defensive. The asari promptly fled during the momentary lapse in their formation and Olivia immediately gave chase.

"Good hunting, Liv." Julian whispered before turning his attention back to the proletarians.

"Is that all you got?! Some boogiemen you are!" Ray laughed after annihilating another wave of proletarians with an electrified swing of his battle hammer.

The young Hunter was proving to be a difficult adversary for several reasons. The first and most obvious was his immense strength which he was further augmenting with his biotic focus. The second was his endurance, he was utilizing tech armor and a biotic barrier that didn't seem capable of falling. He was also refraining from using any external offensive biotics which prevented his enemies from absorbing and counterattacking such maneuvers. By using his hammer to channel his biotics and tech, Ray was quickly becoming a dangerous obstacle to every enemy on the battlefield, every enemy except for the most formidable. Having recovered from his initial onslaught, the suppressor was already taking aim at him with both of its shoulder cannons. As the energy beams ripped across the room, Ray found himself being shoved out their path by the last man in the galaxy that he ever wanted to owe his life to.

"Draconian tactics won't benefit you in this battle, Raymond." Julian calmly stated after joining Ray.

"Goddammit!" Ray grumbled. "This doesn't change a damn thing between us, understand?"

"Whatever you say, Raymond." Julian coolly responded while readying his blade. "Now prepare yourself. The suppressor has quite a few subordinates left." he added while eyeing the incoming batarian and proletarian forces.

"Damn, they just keep coming!" Rabbit raged while picking off enemy targets with Garr behind the shield pylon.

"And the suppressor remains. The last one didn't fall easily and wouldn't have likely been defeated without Julian's persistence." Garr informed him.

"The life of a rabbit who runs with wolves." Rabbit sighed in between gunfire.

After scanning the area and taking stock of its opposition, the suppressor began firing a rapid spread of energy slugs that laid waste to its own underlings and inflicted serious damage to his adversaries who were unable to avoid the full scope of the carnage. Once the barrage ended, it surveyed the area once more. Nearly everyone in the area had fallen to the offensive. Garr's shield pylon was completely destroyed but had at least protected himself and Rabbit from certain death. They were both sprawled across the floor and struggling to stand while Julian and Ray continued to stare down the suppressor from the center of the battle scarred room.

"Your bubble…it's just as strong as Leon's. I mean, as strong as his used to be." Ray reluctantly admitted while staggering on his feet. His barrier had been utterly destroyed and his tech armor was barely holding together but he was still standing and ready to face the giant standing before him.

"We trained together, remember? I won't disgrace his memory by faltering now." Julian replied in between breaths while clutching his monomolecular blade.

Apparently surprised by their survival, the suppressor prepared to fire another energy sweep but was promptly bombarded from the rear by a series of phase disruptors and biotic orbs that caught it off guard and destroyed its barrier. It immediately took flight after deploying a pair of jets on the back of its armor and turned to face its newest adversaries.

"What the hell did we miss?" Lucas pondered in exasperation. "And what the hell is that thing?" he quickly added while readying his Lumina.

"Another monster for you to slay, I suppose." Rain mused. "With my help of course. Now let's clip his wings."

Lucas immediately began opening fire with his gun as the suppressor strafed through the air and repaid his aggression with a shower of high intensity energy beams from its shoulder cannons.

"Are you serious?!" Lucas furiously shouted while speeding across the room and dodging explosions.

"Lucas, his kinetic barrier! You mustn't let him restore it!" Julian roared after evading his own bombardment.

"Got it!"

After sprinting to a wall at the edge of the battered complex, Lucas immediately circled back and began firing on the suppressor, only this time he targeted a portion of the damaged ceiling above the creature where it had first made its entrance, causing a large piece of debris to fall on it. As the suppressor crashed to the floor, Lucas quickly reconvened with Rain.

"You ready?"

"Always."

A moment later the couple let loose a colossal pair of shockwaves that quickly converged into one enormous cascade of destruction that the suppressor attempted to absorb with one of its gauntlets. The energy quickly proved to be too much and as soon as its glove exploded Lucas and Rain rammed their unwary opponent with synchronized biotic charges that floored the creature. Undeterred, the suppressor attempted to impale them both after they dropped from their charges while extending an energy blade from its remaining gauntlet. Lucas responded by drawing his Advent and firing a carnage blast that not only tore apart his foe's gauntlet but its arm as well.

"No more gauntlets means no more absorbing." he coldly announced before giving a nod to Rain who quickly disappeared in another biotic blur. He then unleashed a ferociously powerful nova that left a mangled mess of blue blood and scattered appendages in his wake. Afterwards, he brushed himself off and walked towards his friends who were all slowly regrouping in the center of the area.

"I guess we decided to crash this party at just the right time." he joked.

"Screw you." Rabbit groaned while steadying himself. "Next time, how about you don't take the scenic route?"

"I had it covered." Ray defiantly stated while rubbing the sweat from his face.

"Posturing is pointless, Raymond." Julian sternly remarked. "Lucas, I'm glad you and Rain arrived when you did."

"I'm grateful for your appearance myself. The more elite among these arbiters aren't to be underestimated." Garr thoughtfully added.

"It looks like we're missing someone. Where's Liv?" Rain anxiously asked after scanning the area.

"She's…handling a personal matter." Julian calmly replied while thinking of the woman who was occupying his thoughts far more frequently in recent days.

* * *

"How long do you plan on running?!" Olivia raged while shooting her Firefly at her fleeing asari prey.

After being cornered in a dead-end hallway, the asari casually turned to face her pursuer. "Olivia Hunter, the fearsome Void Slayer and second eldest daughter of the infamous Terminus Hunter. Your older sister is famous across Citadel Space for her abilities. They even call her a sorceress. Tell me, what does that make you?"

Without any further delay, the asari fired a warp at Olivia before executing a series of impressive acrobatic maneuvers that put her in striking range of her opponent who was already increasing her muscle mass with her focus. After closing in, the asari began rapidly teleporting in different directions while unleashing a flurry of strikes that seemed to hit Olivia from every angle in range. After executing a combination back flip and kick to her enemy's face, the asari calmly landed on her feet and pulled out a Samaritan heavy pistol.

"This was the same model gun that Vellus used to kill your dear brother. It seems only appropriate that I use the same tool to deal with you. Olivia Hunter killed by agent Glarivi Janera. It will look good on my list of accomplishments." the asari taunted.

"You picked the wrong daughter in this family." Olivia coldly announced before firing her own warp.

Glarivi instantly evaded it by teleporting a few steps sideways before using her biotics to skate past Olivia and release a biotic pulse that blasted her against the wall where the asari SPECTRE hammered her further using a biotic throw.

"Tell me, why is that? You humans have gotten rather arrogant recently, especially you so called 'superhumans' and it's quite irksome. My people have been perfecting biotics since the dawn of our civilization. Meanwhile, humanity has been fumbling around for only a few decades and now you all claim mastery. I can't say I've seen any evidence to back up that ego so far."

"Then I guess you haven't met my older sister." Olivia seethed before creating an annihilation field around her body.

Glarivi simply chuckled before teleporting forward and once again unleashing phantom barrage of rapidly appearing afterimages. However, Olivia carefully blocked each attack during her newest assault before grabbing her arm and tossing her across the hallway.

"A few weeks ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to beat you. I'm the most straightforward when it comes to my father's girls. My little sisters have more finesse, they're meticulous and devious beyond words. They would've killed you the moment you made your first move and you would've never made it within striking distance of Angelica in the first place. But me, I'm just a dragon who wrecks everything in her path. Luckily, a tiger taught me how to be a little bit more disciplined." Olivia explained while glaring at her adversary who quickly leapt back to her feet.

"Is that so?" Glarivi replied in amusement. "I'll have to keep that in mind when I eventually kill them too."

Afterwards, she opened fire with her Samaritan before tossing a cluster grenade at her target whose kinetic barrier had suffered serious damage from the assault. To ensure Olivia's demise, she created a singularity in the center of the hallway and eagerly waited for her body to appear in the gravity well. She was quickly disappointed when a colossal dark sphere appeared instead and promptly imploded, destroying her singularity and blasting her backwards. Before Glarivi could recover, Olivia seized her wounded form with a biotic lash and released a string of shots with her Firefly as her opponent's body zoomed towards her, riddling it with even more injuries before casually catching her prey by the throat while still draped in her annihilation field.

"I warned you." she whispered before crushing Glarivi's larynx with her bare hands and obliterating her remains with a violent blast of her biotic flames. "Leon…two more to go." she quietly added before walking away. The first mission in Operation Hunter was officially a success.


	22. Chapter 22 Blowing Off Some Steam

Chapter 22: Blowing Off Some Steam

"So I hear congratulations are in order. Your first assignment was a complete success. The raiders are finished, you freed their slaves, kicked some arbiter ass and took out another SPECTRE. Nice work, Boss."

"Dad, enough with that. You're still the big man until all this is settled."

Both father and son smiled a little while observing each other in the Quantum Communications Room of the Fenrir.

"I'm proud of you, all of you. I read a few of the reports about what you fought down there and I don't like it."

"I don't either but Julian gathered what he could on the vulnerabilities of those 'suppressor' things during his battle against the first one. I'm already compiling a field manual on the best ways to fight them and all the other arbiter troops. I've also briefed our unit commanders on the new intel we've gathered and ordered them to train our guys accordingly. I'm glad we packed plenty of Hyperions." Lucas explained.

"You've got a few prototype Armageddons too. Our lab on Aeia managed to complete their work on them before you left."

"Yeah…I'm hoping we don't end up having to use those, especially near anywhere that's populated."

"They're for emergencies, Lou. It'll be your call when and where they should be used."

"Well, we definitely won't be bringing them along for our next assignment. Nos Astra has seen enough abuse thanks to Mom and Rika fighting each other all across the city a couple of decades back. And you didn't help matters when you took on that Zodiac Commander a few years later. Geez, now that I think about it, you're both crazy. I guess that's where we all get it from." Lucas joked.

"Your mother and I are just a special kind of people." Mal quipped. "Anyway, you should probably let Nate and Rabbit handle the Illium op. It's their backyard and they know better than anyone how things work there. They also have experience gathering info and tracking down difficult leads."

"That's good because we really don't have much to go on. A few of the slaves we freed mentioned overhearing something about a tradeoff point in the Tasale System. That little detail combined with what our spies mentioned about Forgotten agents prowling around the slums of the capital have me concerned. I don't know what's going on for sure but I'd bet anything that the arbiters are involved." Lucas surmised.

"Did you manage to track any of their ships once you secured Lorek?"

"No, they completely disappeared. ACE managed to identify a couple as they were retreating from the surface but they vanished almost as soon as they escaped Lorek's atmosphere. No sensor readings, no heat emissions, not even a visual-Dad these bastards have some serious tech at their disposal. Our only good fortune is the fact that the damned things are barely the size of frigates and I'm guessing they can't use their disappearing act in an actual fight otherwise they wouldn't have likely fled from the sight of a cruiser and six escorts." Lucas explained.

"We'll have to keep our eyes open. Enough idiots have access to stealth drives these days and I don't like the Leviathans' flunkies being part of that list."

"Speaking of the arbiters, do we actually know what they are? I mean, are they some new undiscovered species or-"

"They're genetically engineered super soldiers."

"What?!"

"That's what our science teams are speculating. Their anatomy and cellular structures are unlike anything they've ever seen and there's evidence that they didn't just spring forth naturally and evolve on their own. Somebody made them. I guess we've got a lot in common." Mal quietly explained.

"Maybe but we broke our chains. You broke our chains."

"You never had any, Lou. You, your brothers and sisters, none of you were created in a lab. Neither was Rain or her brothers. You're all the results of love. My children are the most important things I've created and one of the few things I can honestly say I'm proud of. Leo and Libra feel the same way."

"Dad, don't get all mushy on me." Lucas joked.

"If you think I'm bad, try listening to the sentimental lion of our dysfunctional little family."

"I have. Every single time I picked Rain up from his house for a date. Damn, that brings back memories. Listening to him drone on and on about how special we all were, how we were lucky not to have been born in Equinox, how we could live freely…Dad, how bad were they?"

"There aren't really words that can truly describe how messed up they were. I've always considered myself lucky for being rescued by your granddad. I was labeled a disappointment and a nuisance by the big shots who used to run things but that just made me even more proud of who I was, who I still am." Mal thoughtfully explained. "So cut Leo some slack. Him, Virgo and Libra-They endured far worse than I did when they were kids. I was just an unruly brat looking to make a few friends but I always had Mom and Pop. They didn't have anyone and the twisted geezers who raised them…Anyway, I'm glad you kids got to enjoy your childhoods. I just hope the treasures who are old enough to remember don't still have nightmares about the labs where I found them. Bitter memories are hard to replace, no matter how pleasant the new ones are."

"We've all got a few bad images haunting us now." Lucas sadly replied. "But we'll manage. Maybe that'll be my first order of business once I get back and officially take control. Give everybody a good time and a few more happy memories."

"Lou, I think you're gonna do alright."

The two men spent a minute contemplating the future before finally resuming their discussion.

"Cralle should be arriving within the next few days to take control of Lorek. The Batarian Federation will be happy to have a stable colony under their belts. It won't require much repair work either, just a few renovations to clean up the raiders' garbage."

"Good, the sooner he and his people can get to work, the better. The colonists and civilians around here are gonna need some decent weapons when the time comes."

"Anticipating open warfare?"

"Dad, I'd be a fool not to."

"Yeah, you would. But Tess and I didn't raise any fools." Mal joked. "When this finally gets serious, we'll be the ones on the frontlines. Despoina is in our part of the galaxy and you can be damn sure the Council Races will be dragging their feet once the Leviathans decide to get serious. That's assuming they don't decide to join the monsters themselves. I've never trusted those bastards and now I've got even more reasons to be suspicious. That's why I'm arranging a meeting with a few friends to start preparing. Eventually I'll be introducing you to them in person since you'll be taking over soon. You already know Aria, so expect a few interesting get-togethers with some new faces who are just as dangerous and cunning."

"I can't wait." Lucas replied wryly. "On an unrelated note, I should probably get going. Everyone's celebrating our first victory in the lounge and I don't want things to get too rowdy."

"I remember those days." Mal fondly reminisced.

"What do you mean? You and the old Wolves still throw insane parties whenever you get together. Don't tell me you guys were actually even wilder when you were younger."

Mal responded by smiling causing his son to shake his head in utter incredulity.

"By the way, Vince is back." he cheerfully announced.

"Um, okay. That's good, I guess." Lucas reluctantly responded.

"I know that tone, Lou. What's going on?"

"Dad, I love Vince and I'm glad he's returned but just how long is he planning to stick around this time? When he considered leaving to live with Angelica, I accepted it. He's our brother and supporting his happiness is something that we should all be willing to do even if it hurts. But having him suddenly show up after everything that's happened and expecting everyone to just be fine with it, that's not gonna happen."

"I guessed as much. What happened with all of you? Just how long are my pups gonna be at odds with each other?" Mal replied in exasperation before releasing a sigh. "This isn't their fault, Lou."

"I'm not saying it is. There's plenty of blame to go around for how the situation turned out but Vince sauntering back into our lives after being gone for half a year won't magically improve the circumstances. You know how tense things are between him and Ray…and Liv. Dad, they're being selfish but they do have valid reasons for feeling the way that they do."

"A broken heart and a sense of betrayal." Mal sadly mused. "I really miss the good old days when I could just fix everything by taking you all out for ice cream."

"Sorry Dad, but it's not that simple anymore." Lucas sympathized. "I'll let everyone know that Vince is back but not now. I don't want to ruin their fun and we really need to savor every victory we get and every moment of downtime. I've got a feeling that things are about to get a lot tougher before long."

"They are." Mal agreed. "But your old man won't be standing by idly while you face the worst of it. Remember that."

"I already know, we all do. See you Dad."

"Stay safe Little Wolf."

* * *

"He's returned? That's interesting."

"Don't bother mincing words, Julian. It's a disaster waiting to happen."

The two friends were currently sitting at a small table in the corner of the ship's lounge and sharing a couple of beers while their friends and crewmates indulged themselves with an escalating level of raucous behavior elsewhere in the club areas.

"I suppose you're right. Liv has only recently gotten over his rejection and Raymond…well, maybe you'll think of some way of curbing his ire."

"Damn it, why is it always me?" Lucas irritably pondered before downing some of his beer. "Just because I don't pick fights with anyone, because I somehow manage to get along with all of my brothers and sisters, everyone expects me to fix things. That's just not something I'm good at it. I've been trying for a long time now but I'm no peacemaker. That was Leon's gift not mine."

"Perhaps but I don't think your efforts will be in vain. There will come a day when you'll all stand together and I think you'll be instrumental in bringing that day forth." Julian replied earnestly before taking a sip of his own drink.

"I don't know Julian. There are just so many issues between us all. I'm starting to feel like Dad and longing for the good old days when we were kids. Everything seemed so much simpler back then."

"The times of our youth always do." Julian wisely responded before smiling a little. "But I think we should continue this discussion later. It appears that Rain desires your company and I certainly don't want to be responsible for keeping you away from her." he humorously added after catching sight of the young woman who was gesturing to Lucas from the dance floor.

"That's my lady." Lucas quipped. "I'll catch you later buddy." he quickly added before emptying his glass and departing.

Julian took a moment to observe him before returning to his own drink. After emptying the contents of his glass, he calmly scanned the area and took in the various spectacles that were occurring all across the area. Lucas and Rain were already tearing up the dance floor while Garr became acquainted with a few of the good natured but still rather violent social exchanges between Thorn and several other vorcha at a large table near a window. Ray and Grace were busy getting hammered with Ray's battle hardened krogan and human subordinates and already in the middle of singing an old krogan war song or maybe just gibberish, Julian wasn't entirely sure. Nate and Rabbit were hosting a card game with Sonia and the other Amazons on an elevated platform above the room. The discarded articles of clothing that were littering the floor above didn't bode well for the rules they were abiding by and Zel'me's presence among the players only added to the uneasy notion.

"It would probably be wise for me to disappear. I'd rather not get dragged into that madness." Julian quietly joked while preparing to get to his feet.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." a familiar voice assured him as a large bottle of whiskey was suddenly placed in front him. A moment later, two glasses were set down as well and a cheerful young woman soon followed after taking a seat across from him. "You with no clothes…the girls would love it."

"Liv, shouldn't you stop them? We both know how disreputable your brother and Rabbit are. The potential sight of Sonia and the others naked though enticing would hardly be-"

"So, you do have a heartbeat." Olivia mused before pouring them both a drink.

"Meaning?"

"I don't know, that you aren't made of stone. That you aren't a flawless squeaky clean gentlemen. That maybe you actually have a few impure thoughts and-"

"Is this going somewhere?" Julian interrupted in annoyance. "Yes, I harbor indecent thoughts from time to time about women. In that regard, I'm guilty. Does my admitting that make you happy?"

"Relax, I was just teasing you." Olivia playfully responded. "Sonia and the others knew what they were getting into. Whatever happens is on them."

"This won't be good for my meditation later." Julian lamented causing her to laugh.

"Now that that's settled, why don't you have a few drinks with me?"

"Shots of whiskey? Of course, the Hunters are nothing if not resilient. I guess I'll count myself lucky that you didn't bring anything with ryncol."

"Who says I didn't?" Olivia pleasantly countered before setting yet another bottle on the table. It was smaller than the whiskey but also unmarked and radiating an ominous aura. Yes, the liquor bottle had an actual aura and a menacing one that appeared to rattle the glasses slightly with its mere presence.

"What is that?"

"Something special I picked up on Tuchanka awhile back." Olivia casually responded.

"Liv are you insane? You know full well what types of alcohol the krogan ingest. There's no telling what's inside that bottle." Julian cautioned.

"You do remember who my father is, right?"

Julian immediately began rubbing his temples in exasperation. "If I refuse your invitation you'll drink all of this alone, won't you?"

"Yup. So what'll it be?"

"Let's start with the whiskey." Julian sighed while sliding his shot glass forward.

They spent the next the next few minutes drinking shots before eventually taking a break.

"I'm surprised you actually drink. I always thought you were some kind of warrior monk." Olivia teased.

"I occasionally enjoy a good brew just like most people. Your assumptions about my character are beginning to annoy me."

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to offend my tiger. I just meant that it's nice to see you like this. You know, unwinding."

"The truth is I rarely do this sort of thing with other people." Julian admitted. "The only reason I'm here right now is because of Lucas' request to have a drink with him. He seemed to have a lot on his mind and I didn't want to refuse."

"Would you have come if I asked you?"

"Yes."

Julian's instant and sincere response almost caught Olivia by surprise. After a thoughtful moment of silence the pair resumed their drinking before taking a minute to watch a few of their associates dancing in the center of the lounge.

"Wanna give it a try?" Olivia suddenly suggested.

"I can't and you know that." Julian responded tersely.

"Which is why I'm offering to teach you, stupid." she shot back in agitation. "It's not hard and I'll guide you."

"Why here of all places?" Julian nervously asked while surveying the crowded lounge.

Olivia appeared to be mildly stunned by his hesitation but quickly recovered and smiled. "Are you scared of getting embarrassed? Julian, that's absolutely adorable. The fearsome tiger is actually a frightened little kitten, how cute."

"Your mocking is hardly becoming." Julian scoffed. "Fine, let's go. But don't blame me if your toes get injured. I'm giving you fair warning, I'm terrible at this."

"Don't be so negative." Olivia chastised. "We all have to start somewhere." she added before taking his hand and leading the way to the dance floor. After arriving, she gently placed his right hand above her hips and his left on her shoulder.

"Liv, this is rather awkward-"

"Shut up and pay attention. We'll start with something basic and then a little freeform. We can change up depending on the song that's playing. Now, eyes on me." Olivia commanded. "And relax, you can do this Julian. Just go with the flow." she gently added before initiating their movements.

* * *

"How are we losing right now!" Rabbit raged while sitting in his underwear at a poker table.

"I think we underestimated Sonia." Nate casually replied while nude. "Plus I think she hustled us." he added in an offhand manner. "Well, I hope you ladies like what you see. If anyone would care to get a more in depth review of my anatomy later in private, I'd be happy to make a few arrangements."

"I was hoping to humble that cockiness of yours but I guess you aren't just talk." Sonia replied while eyeing him.

"Lying doesn't suit you sexy. You all threw the first few hands on purpose hoping that Julian would take notice and join our little game. Too bad he's busy feeling up my sister right now." Nate responded nonchalantly before turning to glance down at the dance floor below.

"Damn it! Where's the Bruiser when you need him?!" Rabbit shouted in outrage after catching sight of the scene himself.

"Ray's at the bar getting ready to make his move from the look of things." Nate replied before yawning. "Grace might be able to stop him. I'd say the odds are about fifty-fifty."

"Interesting, very interesting." Zel'me mused while observing the pair of friends dancing below before shifting her attention back to Nate. "I believe you're overdue for a medical exam."

"Am I? I almost forgot. We're heading out Rabbit. I'll see you ladies again later and the next time I won't be so generous." he announced in a laid-back tone before standing and taking Zel'me's hand.

"Pants! Pants you easygoing jackass!" Rabbit reminded him while averting his eyes.

"Oh, right. You can bring them to me later with the rest of my clothes. I appreciate it pal." Nate cheerfully responded before leaving with Zel'me.

"Every day with that idiot is a constant struggle to maintain a grip on my sanity." Rabbit remarked in frustration while the Amazons stared at his friend as he made his exit.

"He reminds me of Leon in some ways but more uninhibited." Sonia casually stated while glancing at him herself and growing slightly flush.

"You really have no idea." Rabbit replied before pouring himself a drink. "I spend a lot of time in Nos Astra where he happens to work. That guy is definitely no Mal but that's not a bad thing, not all the time anyway. He has his own way of doing things and living life."

"Well being a nightclub owner must give him plenty of opportunities to enjoy himself." Sonia pondered.

"What? Oh, right. His club, yeah, that place is definitely a party factory." Rabbit replied with a hint of evasiveness before downing his drink and diverting his attention back to Olivia and Julian. "Come on Bruiser, hurry up and step in already!"

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, little rabbit." Sonia joked.

"Little? Should we resume our game? If you win, you can see for yourself just how 'little' I am but you might be disappointed." Rabbit proposed.

"We'll see." Sonia replied while smiling.

* * *

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Ray, stop it. NOW."

"Grace, look at where's his hands are! And look at how close Liv is rubbing against-To hell with this, I'm kicking his ass!"

"No, you're not." Lucas firmly stated after approaching the bar with Rain. "Leave them alone, Ray. I mean it."

"Really? So this is how it is now? You're just gonna pave the way for your fake ass samurai buddy to screw our-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Rain interjected in a dangerous tone while glaring at him. "They're both having fun, a commodity that we're all going to be running short on before long. And Liv could certainly do with a little harmless amusement after everything that's happened. Julian has a way of bringing out her playful side and I happen to think it's sweet. So I suggest you sit there, shut up and deal with it like an adult. I mean it Ray, don't make me have to come back over here."

A tense silence followed and wasn't broken until Nate wandered past while naked and holding hands with Zel'me.

"Dafuq?!" Ray shouted indignantly while covering Grace's eyes.

"I hate my family sometimes." Lucas sighed while Rain massaged his back and chuckled.

* * *

"See? You're a natural." Olivia complimented as she and Julian slow danced to a more mellow tune that featured a variety of wind and string instruments of unknown origin.

"I suppose I am or perhaps you're a superb teacher. I think that's the more likely explanation." Julian replied modestly while absentmindedly drawing closer to her.

"Julian?"

"Yes?"

"We still have to get back to that bottle. I didn't forget."

"Damn."

* * *

"Peek-a-boo, I see you." Olivia playfully remarked after peering through the gap of her fingers as her hand rested across her face.

"Liv, this is hardly the time or place to indulge in juvenile diversions." Julian replied with a slight slur.

He was struggling to drag an extremely inebriated Olivia to her quarters while dealing with his own alcohol related impairments. As he'd feared, the mystery bottle of krogan spirit had had an almost immediate and devastating effect on both of them.

"I warned you about that krogan liquor. Now look at us. Look at you." he scolded while continuing to drag her forward down the hall as she laughed.

"Julian, you are so drunk. You're wasted. Plastered. Smashed. Sloshed." she chuckled while swaying on her feet. "But I'm just a little bit tipsy."

"A little bit tipsy? So that's why I'm lugging you across the whole ship while everything is spinning. Good to know." Julian sarcastically countered causing her to laugh even more.

"I can't believe it! You just made a joke! You really made my day. I finally got to see you loosen up. Then again, I guess I've been seeing that side of you a lot lately."

"You have." Julian quietly agreed as they approached the door to her quarters. "Damn it, a door. I can't seem to recall how you operate these contemptible things. Maybe I should just destroy it. That'll show it not to impede us. You hear me door! Prepare yourself!"

"Yeah, do it! Show that door who's boss!" Olivia gleefully urged.

"P-Please! That isn't necessary! I can open the door to Olivia's quarters, so please refrain from destroying parts of the ship!" ACE suddenly pleaded after appearing at a terminal next to the aforementioned door.

"ACE, you're a good kid. Kind and generous, more than this bastard deserves. You get off easy today but we'll meet again door, I swear it." Julian vowed while glaring at the hated barrier between him and Olivia's room before staggering slightly.

"Julian…maybe you should avoid getting inebriated in the future." ACE suggested after opening the door.

"The future is an abstract concept conceived by greedy and deranged conspirators whose ultimate scheme involves selling clocks to the rest of the galaxy. Don't be taken in by them ACE. You have to fight them just like the arbiters for the sake of the galaxy. Promise me!" Julian fervently shouted.

"You're so smart Julian." Olivia replied in admiration. "ACE, promise him! We have to stick together!" she barked while stumbling.

"A-Alright! I promise!" ACE quickly pledged. "I promise that I'll run a thorough diagnostic on the alcohol you consumed." he quietly added before promptly disappearing.

"He's a good a kid."

"He really is." Olivia agreed while resting her head in Julian's chest. "I'm sleepy."

"That's why we're here. To tuck you in and keep you from causing trouble. We can't have the Firebrand of the Hunter family running wild, can we?" Julian joked.

"Who told you?! Was it Ray?! Goddamn him, running his mouth off behind other people's backs!" Olivia suddenly raged.

"Told me what?" Julian asked in confusion.

"You mean-Nevermind, it's nothing." Olivia replied dismissively. "Hurry up and put me to bed Juli." she quickly demanded.

"That nickname, did you pick it up from Sasha?"

"Uh-huh. Does it piss you off?" Olivia taunted while being carried into her room.

"Actually, it doesn't. It's cute when you-Anyway, we've arrived." he brusquely announced before dumping her onto the bed in her quarters. "And now I bid you good night, princess." he added before turning to leave.

"But I'm not sleepy." Olivia defiantly stated in a childish manner.

"You just said-"

"Tell me a story."

"What? I'm in no condition to spin a tale. I can barely remember my own name right now. And why won't this damn room stop spinning?!" Julian furiously shouted before falling on his backside causing Olivia to laugh.

"Okay, no bedtime story. Instead show me your mark. I want to see where you got your Terminus Wolf brand."

"Why?" Julian asked in bewilderment.

"Just do it!" Olivia persisted.

"Whatever you say your highness." Julian replied wearily before removing his shirt. Olivia's eyes lingered for a moment on his impressive physique before eventually finding their way to the detailed tattoo that was adorning his right arm. The design was more intricate than the other patterns that many of the other newer Terminus Wolves had received and featured a ferocious wolf with a serene pair of eyes that slightly offset its savage visage.

"It was Mal's idea. He said it suited me." Julian explained.

"I guess Mom and Dad really do think alike." Olivia thoughtfully responded before removing her own shirt.

"What are you doing?!" Julian shouted before turning his head.

"Returning the favor so keep your eyes on me." she sternly replied.

He didn't need much convincing. Julian was an honorable man but he wasn't crazy. It was a struggle on his part but he managed to stop himself from being distracted by Olivia's alluring figure and focused on the ornate image of a beautiful wolf with a flowing mane and a foreboding gaze that was decorating the back of her left shoulder blade. The work of art was partially obscured by her bra but he could still make out how complex the design was.

"A masterpiece adorning a vision of beauty. I suppose that old saying does still hold some merit. Wonders never cease." Julian quietly stated while admiring the elegance of the tattoo and the splendor of the woman to whom it was attached."

"That was so cheesy." Olivia replied while blushing before putting her shirt back on.

"I don't care. It's true."

"The design was Mom's idea. She was there when I got it done. Layla and Sasha were too."

"Liv, you…I should go."

After a few seconds of staggering on all fours, Julian finally got to his feet and turned to face Olivia once more. "I can't imagine any man in this galaxy being worthy of-No, forget I said that. Good night, Liv." he quickly added before stumbling outside her room.

"Good night, Julian." Olivia whispered while falling back on her pillows and smiling.

* * *

"Julian, I appreciate your dedication to staying fit but it has been over an hour since you began those sit-ups and the room is beginning to grow rather odious." Garr politely informed his roommate while tinkering with his omni-gauntlet at a desk in the corner of their quarters.

"Forgive me Garr but I have to distract myself. I'll withdraw to the shower once I've worked myself to the point of exhaustion. A very cold shower." Julian assured him while continuing his workout at the foot of a bunk.

Garr simply observed him for a few moments longer before resuming work on his omni-gauntlet.

"Humans are quite strange or perhaps it's just you." he mused. "I warned you before, hesitation will benefit neither of you."

"And I told you that I can't heed that advice. Though I must admit, it's becoming more and more difficult not to." Julian calmly responded. "Why must she be so…Keep working, just keep working." he told himself while escalating his routine.

"Man, that guy has the self control of a saint." Nate humorously mused while standing outside of Julian and Garr's quarters in a bathrobe.

"I'm sorry Nate. I did everything you requested." ACE apologetically offered after appearing at a nearby terminal.

"Don't worry about it. The slow songs were a good start. Maybe next time you should just lock them inside Liv's room." he suggested. "Then again, nah. We don't want to rush things, just give a little nudge where we can.

"Alright but I find myself curious about why you're attempting to intervene in their interpersonal relations. Aren't brothers usually wary of outsiders approaching their sisters?"

"I've been down that road before and for damn good reasons. But Julian's a decent guy and he's helped Liv heal. That's something none of us could do no matter how hard we tried. Most people don't get second chances at love and some of us don't even get a first. Or that first happens to be out of reach and part of the wrong family." Nate explained.

"But I thought Vince was part of your family? I'm so confused." ACE responded in befuddlement.

"My big brother isn't the only one who fell for a Shepard girl. Well, technically Angelica is only half Shepard so that makes it a little bit better for Vince but my situation is more complicated. So do me a favor and let's keep this between us."

"Okay." ACE agreed. "Nate?"

"What is it pal?"

"Do you still think about her?"

"Every moment that I draw breath." Nate replied honestly before walking off.

As he strolled the hallway his thoughts immediately drifted to a young technical genius that he hadn't seen or spoken to in years.


	23. Chapter 23 The Graham Family

Chapter 23: The Graham Family

For all the changes that had taken place across the galaxy over the years, one of the few institutions that had remained unaltered was Grissom Academy. It was still the premier center of learning for the very best that humanity had to offer and even expanded since the end of the war with the Trio. Several departments grew even bigger in the time that had passed after the war, especially those that focused on math and science. Humanity had made several significant leaps in the field of engineering during the recent decade and many of the pioneers who'd paved the way for those achievements were former students of Grissom. The greatest scientific minds of the era were being educated in the school but they weren't the only prodigies who were being taught within the bastion of learning. A large number of biotics were also being instructed, in fact the academy's biotic department had swelled to an even larger degree immediately following the war. The Alliance's rescue of Equinox's former captives who had been candidates for the nefarious organization's overlord training program had caused an influx in biotic students who required not only a place to learn but also a safe haven that they could call home. Grissom had provided both and the youngsters were grateful for the generosity of the staff and teachers who welcomed them.

Two such instructors happened to be fairly well known and quite popular. One was affectionately referred to as the 'Psychotic Biotic' by her charges and had been a mainstay of the school for many years now. The other had been a professor at the institution for well over a decade and was widely recognized for being a somewhat unusual but nonetheless charming mentor. He was a veteran of the war despite not officially being a soldier and also happened to be the husband of Hannah Shepard, the youngest daughter of Admiral John Shepard, the head of the Alliance navy and an undisputed legend. The couple were both part of Grissom's staff and both of their children also happened to be students there. The school's reputation had received a huge boost by playing host to several of the third generation of the Shepard family, including Angelica Hunter who was a rising star within the Alliance. Her younger cousin, Leanne Shepard had only recently left to pursue her own career in the civilian world but both had already left their marks in their alma mater. Angelica was widely regarded as the most powerful human biotic in the galaxy (within the civilized galaxy, that is) and Leanne had proven herself to be a technical prodigy whose skills dwarfed even the best among salarian and quarian specialists. The fact that they were both former students at Grissom made the academy an even more attractive choice for youngsters who possessed strong aptitudes in the fields of math and science or biotic ability. As a result, the school now boasted a population that ranged in the tens of thousands and capable teachers were in high demand. Fortunately, those who provided instruction were among the best and also well loved by their students...even if one such professor happened to get a little long winded from time to time.

"…and by combining the effects you can create a resonant warp bomb, a potent and dangerous result that could prove to be lethal not only for your adversary but also the more reckless among some of our resident troublemakers."

"We love you too, Professor Graham."

Isaac took a moment to smile at his class as they laughed before continuing his lesson.

"Tonight's homework will involve-"

He was immediately interrupted by the collective sighs and groans of the youngsters in his classroom as they lamented his impending assignment.

"Can't you cut us a break Professor? Jack's class doesn't have any homework today."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm not Jack." Isaac sternly informed his students. "Now as I was saying, tonight's assignment will be simple. I want you all to write an essay detailing the molecular effects of warp bombs on solid matter."

"How long does it have to be?"

"Long enough for me to catch any spelling errors that you happen to make, Carson." Isaac joked. "Considering the material, I'd say anything less than five thousand words would be-"

He was met with yet another bout of groans that only served to amuse him further.

"Professor, isn't your anniversary tomorrow? Do you really want to have to stay home and grade a mountain of papers instead of treating your wife to a special evening alone?"

"While I appreciate your concern, I think I'll manage Genevieve. I'd also like to thank you all for your gifts though I should remind you that this is hardly appropriate." Isaac thoughtfully replied while taking a moment to glance at his desk full of presents.

"It's not against the rules, right? Besides, they're for you _and_ Dr. Hannah."

"I'm sure Hannah will appreciate the gesture. Thank you Cindy."

A few moments later, the bell rang and Isaac found himself being bombarded by the usual flood of hugs and farewell gestures that signaled the end of one of his lessons as the students all bid him goodbye and wished him a happy anniversary. Once everyone had left, he took a minute to survey his classroom before once again smiling. The fact that he was a teacher still managed to surprise him even after having been at his post for so long. The years following the war had been good to him, to him and his family. He and Hannah were one of the smallest branches of the Shepard family and resided a fair distance away from the others who mostly lived on Earth. They also weren't tied to the military even though the Alliance had a visible presence at Grissom. It was after all a sponsor of the school's biotic programs and wasn't shy about recruiting any gifted youths who wanted to join.

"Well, at least our little ones won't be enlisting. I'm sorry Admiral but I'd prefer it if my children didn't have to suffer what their parents experienced." he whispered before gathering the myriad of gifts that his students had left on his desk.

After tucking the last present into his bag, he cheerfully made his way outside and began the familiar stroll towards his office. While traversing the halls he exchanged greetings with several colleagues and students who went out of their way to say hi. Isaac may have been a strict professor but that didn't stop him from being popular among the young people who appreciated how much effort he put into helping them with their studies, anxieties about their powers and life in general. He didn't realize it but they were all infinitely grateful that he was a teacher there and a part of Grissom itself.

Once he finally arrived at his office, he casually opened the door to discover an unsurprising sight that always made him happy. His son Simon and an older friend were in the middle of reviewing a massive holo-display that charted the human body. He was carefully making notes on several areas while examining the diagram which seemed to outline where specific element zero nodules were located inside human biotics.

"Hmm, the basic configuration remains the same regardless of the individual's specialties. Implants simply augment their powers and allow for the manifestation of different abilities. But that can't be all there is to it. Asari don't require implants and neither do superhumans. Both also have access to a variety of skills that channel dark energy…Genetic duplication is obviously impossible unless-No. Equinox pursued that madness and look where it got everyone. Somehow I'll crack this riddle." Simon quietly mused, completely oblivious to his father's arrival.

"The numbers, they always have an answer." his friend quietly suggested while absentmindedly tinkering with an old coffee maker at a small table in the corner of the room.

"You're right David but figuring out the proper element zero composition would still leave a host of other problems. There must be a way though. Grandpa Shepard is living proof and so are krogan battlemasters. If I could just figure it out." Simon furiously pondered.

"Try not to sprain anything important while you're thinking." Isaac joked, instantly getting his son's attention.

"Dad, you're back. Uh, I was just-"

"Cutting class and bothering Mr. Archer again." Isaac cut in. "I'm sorry about this David." he apologetically added while turning to face his other guest.

"Why? I enjoy spending time with Simon. He's a good person like his grandfather and the rest of your family. He makes things calm." David Archer replied earnestly while admiring Simon.

"Well, as long as you're happy and he isn't troubling you." Isaac replied before walking across the office to join his son.

"By the way, I was excused. We had an exam today and I finished early. Professor Zhao felt I'd be wasting my time by sitting around while everyone else was still working." Simon explained.

"And we can't have you being bored." his father joked before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Simon, you've actually mapped a perfect node pattern. This is astounding!"

"Not really. I still can't figure out the proper element zero mixture. As things stand right now, the procedure would likely kill whoever volunteered. It wouldn't be any better than the barbaric measures that the krogan utilize to create their biotics."

"Simon, what we have here is the infancy of something that no one has ever dared to attempt. And I think we should keep it that way. It's fine to theorize but following through on something as dangerous as this can only lead to chaos. The last thing the galaxy needs is another Cerberus or Equinox rising to power. This experiment…if it proved to be successful, a viable means of conferring biotic ability to an ordinary human-The risk simply isn't worth it. Biotic power is-"

"A fluke, right?" Simon finished for him. "Grandpa Graham was a wise man." he continued before diverting his attention back to the diagram. "I wonder how Grandpa Shepard would feel about it. He did get his powers after a second exposure to element zero during his youth."

"He'd probably agree with me. He had his own scares when your grandmother was pregnant with Allie and then again with Ethan. Some doors are better left closed."

"It wouldn't have to be this way if everyone simply acted more responsibly. But you're right Dad. With the krogan's numbers, their secondary organs and regenerative abilities, they can afford to pursue the more primitive method of this research. Humans on the other hand…we really would end up destroying ourselves."

"Maybe that won't be the case someday but for now we should be careful. So as usual, let's keep this between us junior researcher." Isaac cheerfully replied before pulling his son into a hug.

"I'm seventeen now Dad. Enough with the hugs."

"Sorry, I tend to get carried away." Isaac apologized before setting his bag of gifts on a nearby desk.

"So everyone decided to splurge after all." Simon pleasantly remarked after noticing his father's haul of presents. "I knew they would."

"Then you should've stopped them. Their credits would've been better spent on books or-"

"Jack's right, you can be pretty boring sometimes." Simon jested. "Then again, I'm just like you so I guess I just burned myself with that one."

"I never realized you felt that way." Isaac responded sadly before taking a seat behind his desk.

"Dad, I was only kidding around. I'm an egghead and proud of it. Kay is too but she's cooler than me and always will be. Maybe it just runs in the family when it comes to girls. Leanne's a tech wizard who makes us all look like amateurs but at the same time she's got professional athletes and movie stars lining up to ask her out." Simon explained.

"So I've heard. It's becoming more difficult for Zoe to stop Ethan from abusing his status as a SPECTRE to 'dissuade' her admirers. I'm not looking forward to Katelyn dating myself."

"Then you're in for some tough times, Dad. Kay's pretty popular and I'm not very intimidating. I wish I could be as scary as Keith but I'm just not that big or badass." Simon admitted.

"I suppose you get that from me. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? I may not be the most threatening guy in the family but I'm at least the smartest. Besides, there are other ways I can deter any idiots who get too bold and despite my appearance, I am undefeated in fisticuffs."

Isaac couldn't help but chuckle at his son's candor. "And what about you? Have you met anyone special I should know about?"

"Dad, have you been paying attention to anything I've said? Nice guys and nerds never get the girls. You're the only exception to that rule. Just look at our family if you want proof."

"Numbers don't lie but people do. Please don't lie to yourself Simon." David suddenly stated after finally finishing his work on the formerly broken coffee maker. "Happy Anniversary Professor Graham." he politely added while holding up the machine.

"Thank you, David. For the gift and the advice for Simon." Isaac happily responded while observing his son.

* * *

"So where's Isaac taking you? I hope it's someplace good. You two haven't been out on a date in ages."

"I don't know, he's been keeping it a secret. I hope he didn't go through too much trouble."

"You're joking right? Just let Professor Cute Ass take you out somewhere nice and then to a hotel where he can-"

"Jack!"

"Oh get over it. How do you think you and your brother got here?"

Hannah quickly found herself grinning while observing Jack lounging across a sofa in her office while playing with her daughter's hair as she sat on rug in front of the violent and foul mouthed teacher who was as popular as ever.

"Wow, twenty years. You and Dad are amazing." Katelyn stated in admiration.

"Not as amazing as your grandparents but we've had a good run so far." Hannah replied earnestly.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Jack scoffed.

"Don't you have any sense of romance?"

"Nope, I'm a hedonist to the core." Jack replied bluntly before pulling Katelyn's head back and planting a kiss on her nose.

"That reminds me, if we happen to find out about any wild parties that have taken place in our absence, you'll be the one we hold responsible." Hannah sternly informed Jack.

"This again? When are you just gonna let it go?"

"When you finally decide to come clean about what happened during that little outing that you took Simon on last year for his birthday. What was I thinking letting you run off with him?"

"You were thinking that the kid was overdue for some fun. My kind of fun. And he had it. Lots of it." Jack casually explained while smirking.

"Jack, if I find out you've sullied my little boy, I swear-"

"He's pretty far from being a little boy." Jack interjected nonchalantly. "And anyway, I told you not to worry about it. I brought him home safe and sound without a scratch." she continued. "None you could see anyway." she whispered, causing Katelyn's eyes to widen. "Plus I took Ethan on the same trip back when he was a teenager. No big deal."

"And he never did mention where the two of you went or what you did. Whenever I ask him he gets this stupid look on his face and avoids the question." Hannah persisted.

"So? It's a secret. And I only bother taking the hellraisers who are worth my time. The boys are always the best company. I'll have to swing by Earth one of these days to grab Keith while Allie isn't looking." Jack mused.

"Jack, nevermind." Hannah replied in exasperation.

Afterwards, she resumed some unfinished work at a computer console on her desk while Katelyn and Jack quietly talked among themselves.

"You're never going to tell her about the tattoo you gave him, are you?"

"Why should I? The only person who'll ever see it will either be a perv who's obsessed with his ass or a girl that he manages to score with." Jack explained frankly.

"You really are trouble, Jack." Katelyn teased.

"And proud of it." Jack confirmed before wrapping an arm around her.

* * *

"Have you heard anything from Leanne lately?" Simon curiously inquired.

"Not since she sent those pics of her dragging Liara through a few of Nos Astra's clothing boutiques. She really seems to be enjoying her trip." Katelyn cheerfully responded while suppressing a chuckle.

"I'm glad. Leanne always was the most fun one to be around. Sometimes I envy Keith and Noah. They get to spend a lot more time with her than we do now that she's left school." Simon lamented.

He and his sister were in the middle of sharing dinner in their school's enormous dining hall. Even though their parents' anniversary was officially a day off, they still wanted to give them as much time as possible to be alone.

"I always figured you were an Angelica type of guy."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, your whole obsession with biotics."

"It's not an obsession. I'm simply trying to unravel the mysteries of human development. By the way, do me a favor and rephrase that better in the future. You make it sound like I've got a thing for my cousins."

His sister simply eyed him while smirking and playing with a strand of pasta on her fork.

"Very funny." Simon responded wryly before briefly glancing behind her back at a fellow student who was laughing among her friends at another table. "Maybe my life would actually be easier if I were an incestuous weirdo."

"Why don't you just ask Nora out? It's not hard. You walk up, introduce yourself and make your move."

"Sorry but I'm not that cool. In fact, I'm not cool at all."

"Says who? And don't bother mentioning anyone who you've already taken down physically or academically."

"Um, people?" Simon sheepishly offered.

"You know with that attitude it's no wonder you never have any dates."

"Twist the knife a little bit more, I think you missed a few vitals."

"Simon!"

"What?!"

"Quit sulking, get off your ass and ask her out, NOW. If you don't, I'll tell mom about your tattoo." Katelyn threatened.

"You wouldn't?!"

"Try me."

"Why do you hate me Kay? I thought I was a decent enough brother or at least I've tried to be." Simon sighed.

"You are and that's why I'm doing this. Now scoot."

"Kay, they're all from the biotics department. What if-"

"No excuses, now go." she persisted.

With extreme reluctance, Simon complied with his younger sister's demand and slowly got to his feet. Afterwards, he took a moment to stare back at Katelyn with a pleading look in his eyes but the stern glare that she was giving him made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't be getting off the hook.

"Remember me as I was." Simon solemnly stated before taking a deep breath and departing their table.

"Have a little confidence, Simon." Katelyn whispered while watching her brother make his way towards the girl he'd been mesmerized with for months.

As he approached the table where Nora was seated and laughing with her friends, his legs gradually started to feel like lead and he couldn't help but wonder why girls felt the need to always congregate in groups. After making it halfway to his destination, he paused to look over his shoulder where his sister was still watching him like a hawk and motioning for him to continue.

"I hope my humiliation is worth it, Kay." he muttered before resuming his walk to impending doom.

Once he finally reached the table of his crush, he found that his legs had gone from lead to jelly almost instantly. His heart was also racing and the palms of his hands had grown quite sweaty. After reviewing Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation in his head for several seconds in order to calm his nerves, he finally worked up the nerve to announce his presence to the table full of oblivious teenage girls who were still engrossed in their own conversations.

"Hi!" he suddenly barked in a pitch that was far higher than he'd intended to sound.

His greeting instantly caught the attention of everyone present and it wasn't long before whispers and giggling followed his seriously awkward approach.

"Can we help you?" one of the girls asked while grinning.

"I'm Simon!"

" _Did I really just say that?!"_

Before he could lament his pathetic introduction any further, a friendly voice quickly jarred him back to reality.

"Katelyn's brother? I've seen you around the science department. Everyone says you're some kind of genius like your dad. Katelyn is in my physics class and she's always bragging about you." Nora explained.

"Really?" Simon spluttered. He couldn't believe that she actually knew who he was or that his sister had actually done him a favor. "Well, um, I don't really consider myself a genius. My cousin Leanne holds that honor." he nervously added.

"You mean Miss Sublime?! Wait, _cousin_?! Are you part of the Shepard family?!"

"How stupid are you? He's Professor Graham and Dr. Hannah's son, so what do you think?"

"Just ignore them." Nora placidly stated as her friends began arguing. "So Simon, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to…uh…interview you. Yeah, I wanted to interview all of you." Simon quickly lied. "You see, I've been doing some research on biotics and I thought getting a firsthand account of what it's like to be a wielder of dark energy would really help my project."

It wasn't entirely a lie and the fact that a portion of his explanation was actually true went a long way towards keeping him calm. Simon was unfortunately a terrible liar.

"Interview, huh?" Nora mused while eyeing Simon. After looking him over, she eventually smiled. "How about tonight before curfew in the library?"

"Okay!" Simon loudly agreed in yet another high pitched tone that brought forth a renewed bout of embarrassment as Nora's friends chuckled while observing him.

After exchanging contact information with Nora, Simon decided to disappear before he could humiliate himself any further.

"You actually did it! I knew you could!" Katelyn congratulated him after he returned to their table.

"I think I need to lay down somewhere." Simon replied in relief before resting his head on the table. "Thanks Kay."

His sister simply rubbed his back while he continued to sit motionless at his seat. "Don't ever change, Simon." she humorously stated before promptly stealing his dessert.

Simon Graham still had a lot of challenges left ahead of him.


	24. Chapter 24 End of Paradise

Chapter 24: End of Paradise

"And you packed everything I suggested?" Isaac cheerfully asked while holding hands with his wife as they casually traversed the halls of Grissom.

"I did." Hannah responded as Isaac pulled her closer. "Now would you care to enlighten me about where exactly we're going?"

"Well…I suppose I can give the surprise away a little early." he acquiesced. "I've arranged a three day vacation for us on Kahje."

"Isaac, you didn't?!" Hannah excitedly screamed before leaping into his arms. "I can't believe you actually planned something like this?!"

"Why wouldn't I? You seemed so happy when you mentioned how much fun you had sightseeing during that medical conference a year ago and I thought we could make a few nice memories together." Isaac sincerely responded while embracing her.

"How did I end up with such a wonderful husband?" Hannah pleasantly mused while gazing at Isaac.

"I'm the one who should be asking that question. Hannah, every moment with you these past twenty years has been heaven. Everything that we have, I couldn't imagine enjoying more. You, the kids, our students, it's beyond anything I ever dreamed of possessing especially during the war. There's so much more that I want to give you but for now I hope you can make do with a small getaway someplace warm that you've been dreaming about."

"God, you say the best things." Hannah whispered before kissing him.

The couple continued their intimate exchange before the sound of a throat being cleared promptly interrupted them. After separating, they quickly found themselves facing a familiar pair of colleagues.

"Kahlee, Jack. It's a nice time for a stroll." Isaac awkwardly offered.

"Nice try. I guess you two decided to start celebrating early." Jack teased.

"Maybe we did." Hannah playfully confirmed before squeezing her husband's backside causing Jack to laugh.

"I take it you didn't find any curfew breakers during your walk?" Kahlee Sanders inquired while raising an eyebrow.

"No lieutenant, everything was clear on our end." Isaac responded while desperately trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Glad to hear it." Kahlee replied before turning to resume her own patrol. "Isaac, Hannah, have a wonderful anniversary." she added while smiling.

"What she said. And don't worry about the hellraisers 2.0, I'll keep an eye on 'em." Jack added before strolling off herself.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Hannah sighed while Isaac chuckled.

"Hannah, Jack has her faults but you can't deny the rapport that she's able to build with children. I'd trust her to look after Simon and Katelyn just as much as Miranda or your brothers and sister."

"I know and I would too. She's just so…Jack." Hannah humorously lamented.

The couple both laughed at her assessment before continuing their walk only to be interrupted by an alert on their omni-tools. Something was wrong.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" Katelyn eagerly asked while she and her brother crept down a dimly lit hallway.

They were both struggling to return to the living quarters that they shared with their parents before their absence could be discovered. Simon's 'date' had stretched out longer than anticipated which his sister took as a good sign. She'd made her way to the library just as he was leaving and now they were both out past curfew. To complicate matters further, Simon had mistakenly left the anniversary gift that they'd both gotten their parents inside Isaac's office earlier that day.

"For the last time, it went really well."

"You sound surprised."

"Maybe because I am. Nora's a really amazing girl. I mean she's obviously pretty but she's also smart, funny, insightful and really fun to be around. I can't imagine what she sees in someone like me."

"Simon, one more word and I'll kick you in the face. Hard." Katelyn warned.

"Kay, why do you take this stuff so personally?"

"Because I love you and I won't let anyone put my big brother down. That includes my big brother himself."

"So I should only belittle myself when you aren't around. I'll keep that in mind."

"Simon, you obstinate-"

"Shh! We have to be quiet and careful, remember?"

His sister decided to withhold her scolding for the time being but not before shooting him a slightly mutinous look as they approached their father's office. As they got closer, they quickly noticed that something was amiss. The door was unlocked and the faint sounds of movement could be heard inside. Someone else was there and they were sure it wasn't their father.

"Kay, contact security and go find Dad." Simon sternly ordered in a whisper as they both stood outside the office.

"Are you crazy?! I'm not leaving you alone!"

"Kay, this is serious. I'm pretty sure this isn't some prank and Dad has a lot of important research stored on his console. That data can't fall into the wrong hands."

"All the more reason for us to handle this together."

"Kay!"

"Simon!"

The brother and sister glared at each other for several seconds before finally relenting and diverting their attention back to the office and its mystery intruder. After giving each other a nod, they both summoned their omni-tools and stormed the room. The moment they entered, Simon turned the lights on and aimed his omni-tool at the mysterious intruder who was ransacking his father's desk. He was stunned to discover that he knew who the culprit was. The middle-aged man standing before him was a tech analyst in the engineering department and an acquaintance of his father's.

"Professor Dyson? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same question of you, Mr. Graham." the professor calmly replied while carefully observing Simon and Katelyn. "You and your sister are violating curfew right now and I hardly think your parents would approve."

"Don't try to flip this on us! What are you doing in our father's office?!" Katelyn furiously demanded.

"I'd watch my tone if I were you young lady. Contrary to what you may happen to believe, the galaxy doesn't revolve around your family. And I'm far from being one of the mindless drones who worship your grandfather. As far as I'm concerned the two of you are students just like everyone else in this academy."

"You didn't answer the question." Simon persisted while keeping his omni-tool trained on the man.

"The answer is right over there." Professor Dyson coolly replied while motioning to a sofa on the other side of the room where another shocker was awaiting the siblings.

"David!" Simon anxiously shouted after seeing the unconscious form of his friend laying across the couch.

After bolting across the room with his sister, he immediately performed an examination and noticed a bruise across the man's forehead and several other contusions on his face.

"What happened to him?" Katelyn desperately inquired while treating David Archer's injuries.

"The simpleton ran across an intruder who's somehow managed to infiltrate the academy. I attempted to apprehend the culprit but found myself having to drag this halfwit into the nearest office in order to stabilize him. There's no telling where the trespasser has gotten to by now. I've already contacted Lieutenant Sanders and security. It's in their hands now." Professor Dyson explained tersely.

"David, hang in there. You still have a chess match scheduled with our Uncle David, remember?" Simon quietly pleaded while his sister continued to work on their friend.

A few moments later, David Archer slowly roused back to consciousness. "Simon…don't be deceived…his mind is no longer his own. I can tell." he quietly explained before passing out.

While Simon struggled to comprehend his friend's warning, both he and his sister found themselves stunned by a potent overload with a carefully tailored neural shock effect that was stronger than usual.

"It's just one headache after another tonight." Professor Dyson sighed before calmly making his way over. "I was hoping to perform my search after your parents left to celebrate their precious anniversary but my masters have grown rather impatient. To think, complications arising in the more brutish areas of the galaxy would actually affect my mission-It's almost laughable. Almost."

"What are you talking about? And just what are you after?" Simon demanded before releasing a groan as he writhed in agony on the floor.

"I think you already know the answer to that, Mr. Graham." Dyson replied smoothly while standing over Simon. "You are your father's little research assistant after all. Now, I'm going to make this quite simple. Tell me where the data is or things will get rather unpleasant for you." he ominously added before pulling out a Spider Heavy Pistol and aiming it at Simon.

"What data?" Simon defiantly replied.

The gunshot that followed, his sister's screams and the agonizing wound that had been inflicted to his midsection quickly turned an already dangerous situation into a spiraling nightmare.

"I'll ask again." Dyson casually continued.

"YOU MONSTER! I'LL KILL YOU!" Katelyn shrieked while struggling to move.

"I find that highly improbable Miss Graham but by all means, scream as much as you want. Perhaps it'll persuade your brother to be more cooperative. I do love this part of the school at night. So empty, vacant and quiet. The perfect place to conduct a few experiments on just how far a human being's threshold for pain can be tested." Dyson continued before sending another bolt of electricity through Simon's body.

"Leave him alone!"

"You're not a very compassionate brother are you Mr. Graham? Look at how you're making your sister suffer." Dyson placidly stated before firing another shot from his pistol into Simon's leg.

"You can zap and shoot me as much as you want. I'm won't tell you anything." Simon declared weakly as his blood pooled beneath him.

Dyson simply stared down at him before suddenly rubbing one of his temples with his free hand as a small trickle of blood began running from his nose.

"I know, I know. The boy won't break. But perhaps he'll prove to be more amenable if his beloved sister or dear savant friend were the ones who were on the receiving end of my interrogation."

"NO! Torture me if you want but leave my sister and David out of it!"

"You know what I want Mr. Graham. I suggest you point me in the right direction and soon." Dyson warned while aiming his gun at Katelyn.

"Alright!" Simon shouted. "In my father's console there's a file hidden in-"

A sharp kick to the shin quickly knocked Dyson off balance before Simon could continue as Katelyn regained the use of her limbs. After leaping to her feet, she immediately disarmed Dyson with a sharp kick that nearly broke his hand and followed up with a flurry of similarly powerful maneuvers that sent the professor reeling. As he stumbled backwards, she prepared to finish him with a final blow but was immediately repelled by a biotic throw that slammed her against the wall behind Simon who was already struggling to his feet.

"Foolish child, have you forgotten I'm a biotic?!" Dyson raged before promptly pulling out a second pistol that he'd concealed inside his lab coat and taking aim at her. Simon quickly foiled his attempt at executing her by intercepting the shot with his own body.

He once again found himself sprawled across the floor after having his shoulder wounded. He couldn't help but ponder just how absurd the evening's turn of events had become. He'd gone from having a pleasant meeting with the girl of his dreams to being shot in three different areas in the span of less than an hour.

"Keith was right, being a Shepard really does suck." he coughed while bleeding out.

"I'm afraid it only gets worse from here boy." Dyson snarled as his hand glowed.

Before he could continue his aggression, he quickly found himself being ravaged by a reave and bombarded by a slew of shots from an old Arc Pistol. Simon's vision was already growing hazy but he could still make out the image of his parents rushing inside the office.

"That bastard!" his mother shrieked. "Isaac, Simon is bleeding everywhere!"

"Hannah, do what you can and hurry! I'll see to Katelyn and David!"

Simon spent the next few hours slipping in and out of consciousness as a blur of images swept over him while his father carried him across the academy.

" _What the fuck happened?!"_

" _Not now Jack! Simon's stable but we still need to get him to the infirmary!"_

" _Dad, he'll be alright won't he?"_

" _Katelyn, he'll be fine. I promise."_

" _Mom?"_

" _You heard your father. Now come on, you still have a concussion that we need to treat."_

" _Who the hell did this to them?!"_

" _Dyson and he already paid for his indiscretions."_

" _Isaac, did you-"_

" _Professor Graham, hold it right there!"_

" _Damn it! Hannah, I want you and Jack to take the children to the infirmary. For now, I'll surrender myself to security."_

" _Isaac, NO!"_

" _Hannah, I have to do this. If I run it will only make matters worse. Just trust me and take care of our little ones. Alright?"_

The sound of a kiss between his parents acted as an interlude before he blacked out completely and awoke sometime later while laying on a bed inside the academy's infirmary. After opening his eyes, Simon was relieved to see his mother, sister and Jack sitting by his bedside but quickly noticed that he had another visitor and the expression on her face didn't bode well for his missing father's status.

"Lieutenant Sanders, where's Dad?" Simon instantly inquired after struggling to sit up.

"Simon, be careful. Those gunshots were serious, you shouldn't be moving." Hannah pleaded while gently fussing over his condition.

"I know how serious they were Mom and I know who gave them to me." Simon bitterly responded while keeping his eyes trained on Kahlee. "Lieutenant Sanders, where is my father?"

"Simon, they're holding Dad in custody. Their planning to send him-"

"That's enough, Katelyn." Lieutenant Sanders softly interrupted. "Your father, Professor Graham is currently being held by Alliance security pending a full investigation into what transpired in his office between all of you and Professor Dyson."

"Are you serious?! It's pretty damn obvious what happened! That lunatic tried to kill me and my sister and David! We're all witnesses!"

"I believe you Simon but my hands are tied. Before he went to your father's office, Professor Dyson reported to security that he was investigating a possible intrusion in the staff wing by an unknown trespasser. Right now, this whole situation is being seen as a tragic misunderstanding involving two students who were out past curfew and two professors who-"

"This can't be real." Simon interrupted in utter disbelief. "That bastard was planning to steal Dad's research. He tried to torture it out of me and now you're saying…"

Simon took a moment to calm himself before finally leaning back on his pillows. "I understand, Lieutenant Sanders. If you don't mind, I'd really like to be alone with my family right now."

"Of course Simon. Jack, we should-"

"Jack stays. I did say family." Simon interjected.

Lieutenant Sanders didn't argue and quietly obliged Simon's wishes. Once she was gone, Hannah quickly broke down.

"Why did this have to happen to us? Twenty years of peace and quiet, gone. My children nearly killed, my husband being shipped off to an Alliance detention center, GODDAMMIT!"

"Can't Grandpa do something? He's the head of the Alliance Navy for god's sake!" Katelyn sobbed.

"I don't think so. This will be a really complicated situation for Dad. He can't appear to be abusing his position for the sake of his family." Hannah replied before embracing her daughter whose sobs escalated.

"Of course he can't. They have to do a proper investigation. The problem is, will it be proper?" Simon quietly pondered.

"What do you mean?"

"Kay, I don't think Dyson was working alone. We both saw it. He was talking to someone back when his nose started bleeding and there's that warning that David gave us. This whole thing is fishy and playing by the rules won't get us any answers."

"Simon, whatever you're thinking, STOP. I won't have either of you running off-"

"Mom, relax. I'm no soldier or a detective. But I happen to know someone who is and he has the authority to look into this without anyone giving him trouble. It's times like this when I really appreciate having a few anti-authority relatives with devil-may-care attitudes, especially when one of them is a brawler who doesn't take crap from anybody." Simon explained before smiling a little. "Jack, can you get in touch with him and maybe Miranda too?"

"You bet your ass I can." Jack replied before bending over and hugging him. "I guess me and your Uncle Darryl have a few shitheads to track down. Let's hope the cheerleader can keep up." she whispered in his ear before smiling herself.

* * *

"Darryl, just calm down."

"No and don't try to stop me, Ethan."

The two men were already storming through the Citadel Wards as Hawkins prepared to depart for Grissom Academy. They'd both heard the news but Hawkins had received a personal request for help from his nephew and he didn't plan to let the boy down. It wasn't simply because Simon Graham was his favorite nephew or because he was Keith's closest friend outside of his other cousin, Noah. It was because his father was a brother to him in every sense of the word and it had been that way since their first meeting many years earlier shortly before Angelica's fourth birthday party. Like him, Isaac had married into the Shepard family and at times, struggled with everything that came with that decision. The lofty expectations, the judgment from outsiders who considered the Shepards to be gods among men and accepting Admiral Shepard as their new patriarch. It wasn't always easy but having someone else he could talk and relate to had meant a lot. And while he may not have shared all of Isaac's borderline pacifist philosophies regarding war and battle, he respected his opinions all the same. Over the years, the peace-loving scientist had become the younger brother that he never had or realized that he wanted. He was a good man and an even better father and Hawkins would be damned if he was going stand around while he got railroaded by a few shifty bastards in the shadows.

"Listen, I know how you feel. We all know but we can't just rush into this with our emotions running high."

"Ethan, how long have you known Isaac?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question."

"A little bit longer than you. Over twenty years."

"And when have you ever known him to just flip out and attack somebody without a reason?"

"Never." Ethan admitted.

"Isaac still prays for every single person that he killed during the war, even the most contemptible bastards imaginable like that Zodiac Commander who murdered his parents. He's the most serene guy in this whole fucked up galaxy and yet I'm supposed to believe that he suddenly murdered some dick who broke into his office in a fit of rage and confusion. I don't buy it and you shouldn't either." Hawkins sternly explained.

"Darryl, I never said I did. But Dad wants us to wait."

"For what?!"

"For the investigators who are already on the scene to do their jobs."

"I'm going, Ethan. If daddy-in-law has a problem with it, he can take it up with me later but I'm not turning my back on Isaac or his family. This is exactly why I accepted becoming a SPECTRE in the first place. If I can't use my authority to sort through something like this, what good am I?"

Both men suddenly came to a stop in the middle of a plaza and stared at each other.

"Alright Darryl, I get it." Ethan finally responded in defeat. "I won't try to stop you and the truth is, I'm worried about Hannah and the kids too. Isaac…he hasn't killed anyone since the war. But if his children were being threatened, well I'd do the same if I were in his shoes."

"So would I and with no second thoughts. Don't worry, I'll clear this up and be back before you know it. Meanwhile, you and Will can keep poking around the embassies to see what turns up. I've got a feeling there are pawns all over the board Ethan, more than we can route out and not just on the Citadel. This is getting dangerous which is fine by me, I'm used to it. But our kids and the family, I never thought they'd be getting dragged into this mess."

"How bad was Simon hurt?" Ethan quietly asked.

"Bad enough to push Jack into one of her rages and get Miranda's attention. I'm not the only who's planning to get involved in this investigation. I hope daddy-in-law is ready to deal with a few migraines." Hawkins replied in a slightly humorous fashion.

"It wouldn't be the first time his family gave him some." Ethan joked back. "Be careful Darryl and make sure you get Isaac back home. I don't really want to think about what Hannah's going through right now."

"Allie told me she's barely holding it together. She's staying strong for Simon and Katelyn but the sooner we clear this up, the better. I promised Allie I'd get her sister's smile back and I'm damn sure gonna deliver." Hawkins vowed.

"Why the hell did this all have to happen on their anniversary of all times?" Ethan sighed.

"Because the galaxy is a screwed up, sadistic, shitstorm of crazy and we have to be ready to roll with the punches." Hawkins informed him. "And punch back." he resolutely added. "I'll see you later, Ethan."

"See you, Darryl."

As he watched his brother-in-law depart, Ethan found himself slightly reassured. Darryl Hawkins wasn't the subtle type but he was reliable and relentless when it came to protecting his loved ones. The Biotic Brawler was officially on the case.


	25. Chapter 25 Uncle Brawler

Chapter 25: Uncle Brawler

"How's my favorite nephew doing?" Hawkins cheerfully greeted upon entering the infirmary where the youth was still recovering.

"Darryl, thank god you're here." Hannah instantly responded after shooting from her seat and embracing him. "This whole situation is a nightmare."

"I don't doubt it." Hawkins sympathized while returning the hug.

"Uncle Darryl, I'm glad you came. I couldn't really think of anyone else to call. I know grandpa won't approve of us making moves behind his back but I can't just lay around while my father is being held prisoner, especially when I know he's innocent."

"Well you aren't alone champ. Based on what I saw during the walk here, I'd say Isaac's got the support of the entire student body. I haven't seen protests this big since the Council tried to quell that religious group that enshrined Shepard's old N7 helmet." Hawkins humorously responded.

"Dad's a popular teacher and everyone here knows he'd never kill anyone without just cause." Katelyn proudly stated from her brother's bedside.

"We all know that. But now that you mention it, why don't you two tell me exactly what happened the night your father took out the bastard who put Simon in that hospital bed." Hawkins requested.

His niece and nephew spent the next hour explaining every detail of what had transpired during their harrowing encounter with Professor Dyson and exactly what he'd been searching for.

"So you're telling me Isaac may have found a way to create biotics without exposing pregnant women to element zero?"

"It's all still theoretical but the possibility is definitely there. If Dad's research were to pan out, an ordinary human being who underwent the procedure that he's outlined could be granted permanent biotic abilities. They'd be no different from humans who were born with biotic potential as a result of element zero exposure in utero. But everything's still based on a hypothesis and an untested one. There would still be substantial risks involved and the mortality rate would be…unpleasant. That's why Dad wanted to keep his work a secret and away from prying eyes. He knew how dangerous it would be if his data fell into the wrong hands." Simon explained.

"Damn it, Isaac." Hawkins sighed. "So that Dyson guy was after this research and he was probably a thrall based on what you told me."

"What do you mean? A thrall for who?" Katelyn asked in confusion.

"Nothing. Kay, stay with your brother. I need to talk to your uncle alone." Hannah quickly responded before leading Hawkins outside the infirmary. After the door closed behind them, she immediately turned to face him. "Darryl, I don't want those two involved and I don't want them to know any more than they have to. We all agreed decades ago that none of this would touch the children."

"Hannah, that might be tough. Simon and Kay are smart kids just like you and Isaac. I don't want any of them knowing about this crap either but with the way things are going, we may not have a choice. And it's not like a few of the others don't already know. Angelica, Jayce and Cammie-"

"That's different and you know it." Hannah stubbornly interrupted. "They're soldiers but my kids aren't and they never will be, not as long as there's a breath in my body. I had enough of that anxiety when I was a little girl watching helplessly as my parents served and then again when my brothers and sister ran off to join the Alliance. Never again. Isaac and I, we swore we'd keep our little ones away from the military. To hell with the family legacy and all the damned expectations, our children aren't anyone's disposable troops. They're the best parts of us Darryl, proof of how much their father and I love each other. So please, don't drag them into this." she fervently explained while pleading with him.

"I got it Hannah. I'll do what I can." Hawkins promised. "It's not like I don't understand where you're coming from. I always knew Angelica would end up enlisting and I tried everything to dissuade Jayce. But these kids…I guess they're too much like us."

"At least Angelica isn't alone. Cammie's part of her unit, right?"

"Yeah, two Shepards in a Valkyrie division. The headlines really ate that one up. David and Sophie were pretty proud though. So was daddy-in-law. The Alliance deserves the best but too many of our kids are picking up the torch. I don't want to have them fighting the Leviathans any more than you do, believe me. Especially after what happened to Hunter's boy." Hawkins earnestly stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Actually, that's not true but now's not the time to get into it. I've got an investigation to start and a brother-in-law to free. I'll get back to you later, Hannah."

* * *

Less than an hour later, Hawkins found himself traversing one of the many halls of Grissom while being accompanied by two of his best subordinates and closest friends. During the trek, the trio couldn't help but notice the massive gatherings of students that were forming in corridors all across the academy as the student body continued to organize protests.

"Your brother-in-law must be really popular."

"He is and for good reason. Isaac's the kind of guy who can reach any kid no matter how troubled they may happen to be. He's not just a great scientist and teacher, he's a mentor-The best kind of person who could be guiding some of the knuckleheads around here. I've gotta get him off the hook Gina. He doesn't deserve this, his family doesn't deserve this." Hawkins explained sincerely while thinking of the brother-in-law who'd helped him and Allie countless times over the years whenever they needed advice on how to deal with their youngest and most rebellious son.

"We'll set things straight, Cap. We always do."

"I know Lex but we're gonna have to work faster than usual. Isaac may be a guest in one of the cushier brigs on Benning right now but that doesn't change the fact that he's still a prisoner. And I won't stand for it any longer than I have to." Hawkins resolutely stated before speeding ahead of his friends.

His companions exchanged a brief glance with each other before quickening their pace to match their captain's. Like everyone else who'd joined the infamous Biotic Brawler's crew, Gina Torres and Alexander Gordon had somewhat checkered pasts, both in the military and in their civilian backgrounds. In fact, it was pretty much a given that anyone who served under Darryl Hawkins had to have a few blemishes on their record. It was by no means a prerequisite for joining but everyone knew that any soldier who was willing to follow the most flippant, disobedient, crass and unruly SPECTRE in the Alliance had to have a few of their own skeletons in the closet and practically zero ambitions for promotion. Darryl Hawkins' ship was where the best of the worst gathered and everyone who served under his command was proud of that fact.

After traversing several corridors and passing countless demonstrations that the school's faculty were desperately trying to disperse, Hawkins couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Did we miss the joke?" Gordon asked in confusion.

"No, sorry. It's just that I know Jack is behind most of this madness. That woman is absolute gold." Hawkins replied in amusement.

"Is that another relative of yours? I can't keep track anymore. Just how many family members did you end up with after marrying into the illustrious Shepard family?" Torres humorously pondered.

"A lot but I'm not complaining. I went from having no family to one of the biggest. I may not get along with all of them sometimes but I wouldn't trade what I have right now for anything. I'm even grateful for having daddy-in-law, even if he is a pain in the ass." Hawkins explained plainly causing his friends to laugh a little.

"You're the only guy I know Cap and I mean the ONLY one who consistently has the balls to badmouth the big man himself." Gordon replied in admiration of his leader's gall.

"One of these days I'll have to introduce you guys to a certain mercenary king and believe me, he'll shock you even more than me." Hawkins quietly joked.

"You mean the Terminus Hunter, right? He's kind of a big deal, isn't he? And not a fan of our humble military from what I've heard. You'd figure his daughter being an Alliance soldier would change his attitude at least a little." Torres thoughtfully remarked.

"Hunter's hated the Alliance for as long as I've known him and with everything that's happened recently, I wouldn't count on him revising his position. Despite that, he was always cool with the soldiers he actually respected but now…Damn it!" Hawkins lamented. "One dumbass is it all it ever takes. You should've chose Bishop instead of Brennan, Shepard. He's no kiss-ass model soldier but the kid isn't anybody's pawn either. I guess even you aren't above holding the occasional grudge, no matter how petty." he furiously muttered, soliciting looks of sympathy from his companions who were fully aware of the youth he was referring to.

Before they could question their CO about his remarks, the group found themselves at the end of the hallway that led into Isaac's office. The entire area had been sealed off and security personnel were guarding both ends of the corridor while Alliance soldiers saw to the task of investigating the absent professor's office.

"SPECTRE coming through, so make way!" Hawkins casually barked while he and his team brushed past security towards Isaac's office.

They didn't bother acknowledging the looks of annoyance or incredulity that the affronted officers were giving them and continued inside the office where a small team of investigators were apparently ransacking the crime scene.

"So, is this part of some new forensic technique that I missed hearing about?" Hawkins loudly mused while suppressing his rage. The sight of his brother-in-law's most treasured possessions being strewn across the floor immediately set him off, especially the picture of Isaac and his family which was lying in a heap of discarded trash that had been emptied from a nearby waste bin.

The soldiers immediately ceased their rummaging after Hawkins announced his presence and saluted him.

"Captain Hawkins, you've arrived sooner than expected. I'm Commander Dalton with Alliance Special Investigations. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person-"

"Get out. NOW." Hawkins ordered as the man extended a hand in greeting.

"I realize this may have been a troubling scene to stumble into but we had to-"

"You had to what? Explain to me why you felt the need to tear my brother-in-law's office apart. Just what the hell are you looking for?" Hawkins angrily demanded, though he was fairly certain that he already knew the answer.

"While interviewing your niece and nephew, we were informed of a certain research endeavor that Professor Graham was in the process of outlining. According to them, that was the catalyst for the entire incident that took place here and led to the tragic series of events that have unfortunately caused your brother-in-law's incarceration. We felt it'd be prudent to follow up on what they revealed and confirm the existence of the data that they claim the late Professor Dyson was after." Dalton explained.

"And did you?" Hawkins quietly seethed.

"We aren't at liberty to divulge the results of our investigation at this time. You may be a SPECTRE but it's obvious to anyone present that you shouldn't be involved in this case given your family's connection to the suspect and furthermore-"

The air pressure from a punch that came dangerously close to grazing Dalton's face almost knocked him off balance and startled everyone present with the exception of Torres and Gordon who simply smirked in amusement while observing their captain's usual tactless approach for dealing with people and situations that annoyed him.

"Sorry. Thought I saw fly." Hawkins casually stated while glaring at Dalton. "As of right now, you have two orders Dalton and you'd damn well better follow them. Not only do I outrank you, I also happen to be a SPECTRE as you so kindly pointed out. First, take your men and clear out of here. Second, have everything that you've discovered so far delivered to me within the hour. I suggest you and your people move fast on both commands before I decide to get rowdy. I'm guessing everyone here knows about my reputation, so be quick about it and don't bother whining to my father-in-law until after you've done everything I said. Now move."

There was almost no hesitation from the slightly frightened soldiers who nearly stumbled over themselves as they fled the office, leaving behind a thoroughly amused Torres and Gordon who never grew tired of the somewhat comical scenes their captain often created by plowing his way through bureaucracy and cowards.

"The admiral must love having you for a son-in-law." Torres joked.

"He knows how I do things. Subtlety is for people with plenty of time and patience on their hands and I'm lacking in both right now." Hawkins irritably muttered before making his way towards Isaac's desk.

Along the way, he gently lifted the picture of the Grahams from the floor and carefully placed it back on the desk next to a computer console. After taking a moment to gaze at the photo, he quickly turned his attention to the console and began his search.

"How's it looking Cap?" Gordon inquired while observing his CO furiously scan the contents of the console's screen as his fingers moved at a blur.

"Just what I expected." Hawkins replied in agitation. "The file is gone. Simon told me exactly where it was and surprise, surprise, it's not here anymore." he sarcastically quipped before pounding the desk in frustration. "Damn it! There's no telling how many people have been through here since that night. Teachers, faculty, security personnel, soldiers, shit! Any one of them could've stolen the data."

"I think we can cross Dalton off that list. It didn't look like him and his boys had anything worthwhile, otherwise they wouldn't have been ransacking the place." Torres calmly speculated.

"I'm not ruling anyone out just yet." Hawkins replied before releasing a sigh. "Isaac, you're too curious for your own good, you know that?" he wearily added.

"I disagree, Isaac's pursuit of knowledge and understanding is an admirable quality according to my data files on humans." a friendly and familiar voice suddenly responded.

A moment later a small, pale blue, spherical VI appeared in front of Hawkins.

"Athena! How long have you been here?!" Hawkins asked in shock.

"I have been in operating existence for approximately-"

"In this office Athena." Hawkins quickly interjected in exasperation. "Come to think of it-Have you actually been here since the incident?"

"If you're referring to the incident in which Professor Dyson attempted to illegally procure Isaac's research by torturing Simon, then yes." the VI politely responded while floating in front of him.

"Of all the-Athena! Why didn't you show yourself?! You could've explained everything!"

"I'm afraid my functions were restricted by Isaac before his departure with his family on the night that Simon was wounded."

"Athena, I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. Isaac is in trouble right now and I really want to clear his name and get him released from confinement. He's being held for murder but we both know that's bullshit and that his alleged victim broke in here and almost killed Simon and Kay. I really want to prove Isaac's innocence but so far there are a few roadblocks in my way, the main one being the lack of surveillance footage and what the Alliance considers to be credible witnesses. In a worst case scenario, Isaac will go down for murder. In a slightly better one, he'll go down for manslaughter. I won't let either of those situations happen under any circumstances. So can you help me?"

"Yes, I believe so." Athena calmly replied, instantly easing Hawkins' concerns.

"Good, now why don't you start by explaining what you've been doing all this time. Why were you hiding?"

"For the last year I've been safeguarding Isaac's research per his request. I embedded myself within the operating system of his computer and created several layers of protection around the file where his work was being archived. Maintaining such security measures was somewhat difficult but I was able to do so by utilizing ninety percent of my processes and remaining within this console."

"Okay, so the files are safe?"

"No, I'm afraid my security measures were recently compromised. Isaac instructed me to continue maintaining my security procedures on the night Simon was injured after the others had left. He also forbade me from revealing myself to anyone unless his research happened to be stolen and even then, I was instructed to only initially communicate with a member of the Shepard family. He was quite adamant on that point. Protecting the file was to take precedence over presenting evidence that could possibly exonerate him of what others would inevitably perceive as a misunderstanding or wrongdoing on his part." Athena explained.

"Isaac, you stupid, selfless bastard." Hawkins quietly berated. "Athena, did you happen to record any evidence of what happened in here that night? Even a simple audio would help us out."

The VI responded by revealing a full visual recording of everything that had taken place during the night in question, including events that transpired before Simon and Katelyn's arrival. The scene of Dyson dragging a slightly subdued David Archer into the office, his brutal interrogation and his abrupt stop once he realized that someone else was on their way inside.

"This is exactly what we needed. Thank the galaxy for you Athena." Hawkins replied in appreciation.

"Thank Isaac. He is the one who designed me." Athena replied placidly.

After a thoughtful moment of silence, a realization suddenly dawned on Hawkins.

"Athena, according to the security personnel, their monitoring system was offline that night. Probably a result of Dyson's prep work beforehand to make his call about an intruder seem more authentic but Hannah said that she and Isaac got an alert from his office's security net. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"I utilized the offline security grid to send a message. Dyson was obviously trespassing and threatening Simon and Katelyn. He had to be stopped but my previous restrictions prevented me from intervening directly. Contacting Isaac and Hannah was all I could do to help."

"Right…and you were able to make that decision yourself, huh?" Hawkins playfully pondered while observing the VI.

"It is within my programming parameters to assist and protect Isaac and his family."

"Uh-huh. I think you've been hanging around LEA without EDI noticing and that she might've made a few changes to your protocols. You two are still in contact with each other, aren't you?"

Athena simply remained silent while continuing to float in front of Hawkins.

"I guess women are always secretive, organic or otherwise." he joked before turning his attention back towards his team. "Alright, I think we officially got what we need to free my little brother. Now I've just got to figure out who stole Isaac's research and get it back before it's too late."

"I'm afraid I won't be much help with this predicament. My systems were rendered inoperable several hours ago and I was only recently able to recover. I can only surmise that the assailant responsible was a hacker of superlative skill." Athena explained.

"Half of this school is full of budding young hackers of superlative skill." Hawkins sighed in exasperation.

"Yeah, I think we're gonna have a few problems narrowing the search down, Cap." Gordon replied while furrowing his brows in consternation.

"We can start by finding out exactly who's been in and out of here since the investigation started." Torres suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Maybe we should drop by the security office again." Hawkins concurred.

"Uh, Cap? Those guys either don't trust you or are scared shitless of you." Gordon reminded him.

"I don't really give a-"

"Perhaps you could try talking with Officer Peterson. He and Isaac are on amiable enough terms and I'm certain he'd be willing to aid you in your investigation as long as you approach him with a more polite demeanor than you're accustomed to demonstrating." Athena proposed.

"Are you sassing me little lady?" Hawkins humorously inquired.

"Not at all, I'm simply recommending that you refrain from displaying your usual brutish behavior for Isaac's sake." Athena replied plainly causing Hawkins' subordinates to laugh.

"It's official. Everyone wants to get on my case these days." Hawkins lamented before getting to his feet and grinning at the VI. "Alright, let's get moving. The day's not over yet."

* * *

"I-I already told the guys from Special Investigations everything I know." a short, slightly disheveled security officer stammered as Hawkins and his companions took seats inside of his cramped office.

The small cubicle was full of empty coffee cups, half done crosswords and for some reason, a large assortment of limited edition Alliance action figures that were still inside their packaging. Hawkins couldn't help but marvel at the man's collection, especially when he saw his own figurine standing in its box front and center next to the other Shepards.

"I gotta admit, I'm surprised. You actually put me next to Allie. Most people like to pretend I don't exist. I am a stain on the pristine family lineage after all." Hawkins sadly jested.

"What?! B-But you're the Biotic Brawler! You're one of the strongest soldiers in the entire Alliance. I grew up idolizing you! You helped the Shepards save the galaxy and your oldest son Jayce is on the fast track to becoming an officer! Your stepdaughter is a freakin' sorceress who never fails to mention how much you inspired her during all the media interviews that she gives. A-And your other son Kevin, he's the best professional fighter in the whole-I mean, Professor Graham talks about you all the time too! How you're a better man than you let on, how he can always count on you to help if there's ever trouble…"

The excitable young security officer then lowered his head before leaning back in his chair. "The truth is, I always wanted to be a little bit like you myself."

"Are you serious kid? There are way better role models out there, trust me." Hawkins humorously assured him.

"I doubt that. Captain, you aren't afraid of doing what's right, even if it involves challenging people in power. That means something. I wish I could be half as brave as you." Peterson quietly replied.

"Peterson, I'm gonna be honest with you. This kind of admiration isn't something I'm used to receiving. Most people consider me a necessary menace at best and at worse, a rabid dog who got lucky when one of the Shepard starlets fell in love with a reckless demon without a leash. But it's nice to know that Isaac respects me as much as I respect him." Hawkins earnestly stated.

"Captain, it may not mean much but there's at least one guy out here who looks up to you and appreciates what you do." Peterson insisted.

"And a ship full of borderline washouts who feel the same way." Torres added while glancing at her captain.

"I'll second that." Gordon chimed in while smiling.

"Did it ever occur to any of you that maybe everyone's right about me?"

"Nope."

The unanimous response slightly stunned Hawkins who quickly recovered. "Peterson, let's get back on topic. Do you happen to have a list or log of people who've visited Isaac's office during the last six hours?"

"I did but Commander Dalton confiscated it earlier today after questioning me once his team arrived. I-I was too flustered to make a backup and well…he scares me." Peterson sheepishly admitted.

"How badly do you think daddy-in-law will freak out if I curb stomp that asshole?" Hawkins viciously pondered after turning to his subordinates.

"As much as we'd like to see that, I think you should hold off until we're absolutely sure that he's involved in the theft of your brother-in-law's research." Torres cautioned.

"Gina's right, you're probably already treading on thin ice by being here in the first place. Making those bastards wet themselves earlier wasn't exactly a smart move either." Gordon added.

"I don't care. Somebody has to get to the bottom of this and Isaac's part of my family."

Peterson took a moment to observe the resolve in his hero's eyes before experiencing a momentary surge in courage.

"I-I think Dyson was up to something and had an accomplice. I don't have any proof and my suspicions are all just conjecture but I think it's worth looking into. Nobody else around here will believe me but maybe-"

"Peterson, start talking." Hawkins prodded.

"Well, it's just that this whole situation is completely bizarre. Professor Dyson was always a, well, an unpleasant person to be around. He belittled the students, mocked everyone around here who didn't happen to hold a PhD, except Jack for obvious reasons, but he never struck me as the type who'd be willing to endanger his reputation. Don't get me wrong, I could definitely see the guy ripping off someone else's research for his own gain but not by using a direct approach. Something changed after he left for that excavation trip."

"Excavation trip?" Hawkins asked in confusion.

"Yeah, a few months back there was a big stir around here when an expeditionary group from Baria Frontiers discovered an asteroid with strange architecture dotting the surface out near one of the fringe systems. They sent a few representatives here in an effort to recruit some of the school's anthropology experts to help them identify the ruins. I think they were hoping it would be another Prothean discovery." Peterson explained.

"Then they should've asked the one Prothean who's still alive and kicking." Hawkins scoffed.

"I uh, kinda got the impression they didn't want to involve too many outsiders."

"Of course they didn't. Imagine having to share the credit and findings with too many people outside the company. Just think of the scandal!" Torres sarcastically quipped. "Corporations never change, no matter how much time passes or who's running things."

"Gina, remember what I told you." Hawkins gently reminded her while folding his arms.

"Yeah I know. To hell with them." she replied while smiling.

"Keep going Peterson." Hawkins advised.

"Well, Dyson had PhDs in damn near everything, so he offered to accompany one of their field teams. He decided to take a member of the school's security personnel with him for added protection. Allen Pryce. Allen used to work for Elanus Risk Control Services on Noveria, so he had a pretty good history of handling himself in tight spots."

"What's a guy like that doing working security here?" Gordon suspiciously pondered.

"I don't know all the details but I heard he was asked to leave his former job. The circumstances obviously weren't serious if he was accepted as part of our staff. Lieutenant Sanders is pretty thorough when it comes to screening and hiring new faculty members."

"I don't like what I'm hearing so far. Those guys have a history of indulging in shady practices like accepting unsanctioned side jobs and bribes. Daddy-in-law mentioned once how he had to kill a few during his younger days for getting in his way when he was investigating Saren Arterius' trail on Noveria." Hawkins seriously remarked.

"Like I said before, I don't know the specifics of why he left but I'm assuming it had nothing to do with corruption otherwise he wouldn't have been hired here. Anyway, he and Dyson left for the excavation and two weeks later they came back…different. They didn't mention anything about what they found or what happened while they were gone. In fact, it seemed like the whole discovery just quietly disappeared. There weren't any news articles or rumors, it was like it never happened. Meanwhile, Allen was suddenly acting polite. The guy was a total dick before he left, always bragging about his combat skills and his luck with women and then suddenly he gets back and starts asking me how my day was. It was weird. Then there was Dyson. He was always a jerk but after he got back from their little trip, he became an even bigger one. There were more than a few incidents where he was accused of getting physical with his colleagues. But the accusations always went away before any serious investigations could take place. I mentioned all of this to the guys around the department but they…they just wrote me off as being overly paranoid from watching too many crime vids. You probably already guessed it but I'm not exactly well respected around here." Peterson explained glumly.

"Actually, what I guessed was the fact that you're pretty sharp. A helluva lot sharper than your dumbass peers anyway. Plus you're an alright kid. I can see why Isaac warmed up to you." Hawkins replied earnestly causing Peterson to perk up considerably. "Now, I think it's about time I had a little chat with Officer Pryce." he quickly added before getting to his feet. The next phase of his investigation was about to begin.


	26. Chapter 26 Only the Beginning

Chapter 26: Only the Beginning

"You know damn well the academy is on lockdown until further notice. Nobody's leaving until those Alliance guys finish their investigation and with that SPECTRE poking around, there's no telling how long we'll all be stuck here." a weary docking bay supervisor explained while observing his nervous colleague. The man had barged into his office unexpectedly and asked for clearance to take a shuttle, a request that seemed utterly absurd given the current circumstances.

"Come on Lyle, it's an emergency."

"Is that right?" a crass and familiar voice suddenly interjected from the office's doorway. "You in a hurry, Pryce? I got a few friends in the Alliance. Maybe I could help you out. Why don't we take a walk?"

"J-Jack! That won't be necessary. I'll manage." the skittish security officer quickly responded before attempting to leave.

Jack immediately barred his path and continued to do so as the man moved to each of her sides. "What's your game psycho?!" he suddenly shouted in a rage.

Jack responded by leaning up and whispering into the desperate officer's ear. "What's yours?"

What happened next was a brief but violent exchange that saw Pryce pull his pistol and Jack promptly disarm him before tossing her hapless target across the room with her biotics. After hitting the wall and slumping to the floor, Pryce found himself on the receiving end of a slew of punches to the face while his assailant spewed a veritable storm of obscenities. After beating her prey senseless and remembering that Hawkins needed him alive, she reluctantly ceased her assault and turned her attention to the terrified docking bay supervisor.

"Call Kahlee and tell her this fucker has been taken into the SPECTRE's custody."

Without another word, she quickly stepped outside the office and contacted Hawkins. "I got him. He was trying to make a run for it in the docking bays. You'd better hurry up and grab him while he's still breathing." she seethed. Her heart rate was racing and she was still trembling with a barely contained rage that was threatening to consume her. It was taking every ounce of self-control that she possessed to refrain from killing the man.

"I'm on my way and thanks Jack."

"Just get down here, get what you need and get Isaac home. None of them deserve this shit."

"I know. See you soon."

* * *

"Rise and shine, asshole."

Hawkins gave his prisoner a few moments to regain his senses while carefully observing him. Pryce had been dumped into one of the many chairs occupying a currently empty classroom in the academy's engineering department. His captor hadn't bothered placing any restraints on him, the Brawler rarely needed them.

"I'm gonna make this really simple for you Pryce. Tell me who you're working for and how many more brainwashed lackeys are involved. I already recovered the research files that you stole from my brother-in-law and busted your omni-tool while I was at it. Oh, and I broke your arm. Sorry about that."

Pryce took a moment to glance down at his shattered left arm before releasing a groan of agony as the pain from the fractured appendage and the bruises on his face all hit him at once.

"This won't change anything. Not a damn thing." he defiantly muttered.

"Then it won't matter if you tell me everything you know. So start talking before I get even more pissed than I already am." Hawkins warned.

"You don't scare me Hawkins or Brawler or whatever you go by these days. You're part of the Shepard family, the virtuous pure-hearted guardians of mankind and the rest of the galaxy. The respectable paragons of righteousness who'd never-"

"Oh man, I'm already tired of this." Hawkins quickly cut in before approaching his prisoner and casually breaking one of the fingers on his right hand.

He ignored Pryce's screams of agony and proceeded to punch him in one of his bruised and swollen eyes before promptly breaking another finger. He then grabbed his victim by the hair and yanked his head upwards while tightening his grip.

"I _married_ a Shepard. But I'm the same rabid dog I always was. The only difference now is that I've got a lot more reasons to go wild, so don't push me."

Pryce responded by laughing, surprising Hawkins and infuriating him further. "That's right, you married _her_. You really are one ill-fated bastard, you know that? He'll kill you just to hurt her. Just like he'll kill all the others. It's not about serving the masters for him."

"Start making sense." Hawkins demanded.

Pryce continued to laugh as a trail of blood began to trickle from his nose. "I'm doomed anyway, just like you. He sent me here just to get sent to them. It's so obvious now."

"Who?! Give me a name!"

"You'll find out soon enough. Of course, by then it'll already be too late. He really hates your family, especially your wife. He hates the Hunters too and their patriarch. There's a lot of bad blood there, Hawkins. But he'll focus most of his anger on the Shepards and your little family in particular. Your beautiful wife, your lovely stepdaughter-"

There were a few surefire guarantees to incite Darryl Hawkins' wrath and threatening his wife and stepdaughter were at the top of that list. It was a lesson that Pryce learned instantly as the towering and furious SPECTRE grabbed him by the neck and slammed him across a desk with a murderous look on his face. As Hawkins tightened his grip on the man's throat, the door of the classroom suddenly flew open as his subordinates rushed inside.

"Darryl, NO!"

"Cap! Let him up!"

The two soldiers quickly grabbed their CO and struggled in a seemingly vain effort to calm him. They had been observing the interrogation from outside and knew that all hell would break loose the moment Pryce mentioned their captain's girls.

"Darryl, he's not worth it. Think about Allie, she wouldn't want to see you do this and neither would Angelica." Torres pleaded.

Hawkins took a moment to observe the sincerity in her eyes before finally relenting. After releasing Pryce's throat and witnessing the man's spastic coughs, he took a few steps back and glared at him in disgust.

"I want a name, Pryce."

"You'll get one and so will your brother-in-law." Pryce replied in amusement before once again lapsing into another bout of maniacal laughter.

Hawkins was on the verge of attacking him again but quickly noticed that the trickle of blood from Pryce's nose was escalating into a torrent while the man himself began convulsing.

"Damn it! We need a medic before he dies on us!" Hawkins raged.

A few moments later his concerns became a reality as Pryce fell to the floor, dead. A bizarre look of joy and terror permanently etched across his face.

Hawkins eyed the man's corpse for several minutes before pounding a nearby desk in frustration. "Let's go. It's time to bring my little brother home."

* * *

"It's always the same issue with you Darryl. You fly off the handle and do things on your own without any consideration for-"

"Save it old man. I got the job done. Isaac's been cleared of all charges and his research is safe."

"And a suspect died in your custody. Do you have any idea how this looks?"

"No and I don't really care. Right now, I just want to go pick Isaac up and bring him home. Then head home myself. I really need to see Allie right now, Angelica too."

Arguments between Darryl Hawkins and his father-in-law were far from uncommon. Every member of the Shepard family and Hawkins' crew had been preview to at least one of their long list of disagreements in the past. It was practically part of a customary greeting between the two men and their spats rarely grew serious, in fact some of their more mundane squabbles were downright hilarious. But they occasionally had quarrels that proved to be more significant and it was during those times in particular when the entire family had to step in to help cool their tempers. They all considered themselves lucky to have Angelica on hand during such times. She had always proven to be an effective mediator between her stepfather and grandfather. Unfortunately her current absence and the absence of any other family members was proving to be a possible disaster in the making as the two men eyed each other in the communications room of Hawkins' ship, the Shiloh.

"Are you sure about what Pryce said before he died? Are you absolutely certain?"

"For the last time, yes. I know what he said Shepard and I don't like it. Some lunatic out there with a lot of power and connections is working for the Leviathans and targeting us. This whole thing just gets worse and worse the deeper we dig. Those bastards have thralls everywhere-The Citadel, the Council and probably the private sector. They've managed to pull strings with pirates and mercs, they've got their own army, but you know, as bad as all that sounds, I can deal with it. What I can't handle is knowing that some asshole with a grudge against my wife and her ex is planning to exploit all of that. I thought we were done with this shit after Equinox fell."

"So did I." Shepard sympathized. "I'll have a few people investigate the possibility of Equinox making a resurgence but I have my doubts that it could be them or a remnant of their organization. Mal and Aria were pretty thorough in their purge. I can't say I condone everything they did but it was effective."

"That's your problem, Shepard. You're too damn idealistic. Part of this mess could've been avoided if you hadn't endorsed Brennan for the SPECTRES. I warned you about backing one of your little kiss-asses and look where it got us."

"I'm not having this argument with you again. I've already had it with David, who by the way, rejected Bishop's referral too. Get over it. He's a loose cannon with no discipline, respect or restraint and he's damned lucky that he can still call himself a soldier of the Alliance after all the stunts he's pulled."

"You know what, you're right. You're absolutely right. Brennan was the perfect choice. Except for the fact that he tried to send a coalition of mercenaries at Hunter and his family. Oh and got brainwashed by the Leviathans. Yeah, Bishop is a totally shitty choice compared to him. My protégé may not be perfect but-"

"You just hit the nail on the head, Darryl. He's _your_ protégé and you're biased in his favor. And you always will be."

"And you'll always be against him for your own selfish and petty reasons." Hawkins bitterly countered. "Cammie's a big girl who can make her own decisions. I told David the same thing and I'll keep saying it until you both wake up and stop being stupid."

"I'm not in the mood for this right now, Darryl. If we keep this up, things might get worse once we see each other in person. After you secure Isaac's release from Benning, I want you on Arcturus. We have a few things we need to discuss. Allie and Angelica are already here, so don't worry." Shepard sternly ordered.

"Fine, I'll see you soon _daddy-in-law_." Hawkins irritably agreed.

Before Shepard could respond to his son-in-law's subtle insolence, Torres promptly entered the communications room in a panic.

"Darryl, we've got a problem. A big problem."

"What now?" Hawkins asked in frustration.

"Your friend just made contact with us. Your family friend."

Hawkins instantly realized who she was referring to. "Did you have Ozzy patch her through here?"

"He's doing it right now." Torres confirmed.

A moment later, Shepard's holo-form was joined by an old friend who'd barely aged a day during the many years he'd known her.

"I see we aren't alone. That makes this a bit easier." Miranda announced rather curtly. She was obviously worried about something based on how uneasy she appeared to be.

"Miranda, what's wrong? If this is about Isaac, I've already-"

"This is about Isaac. Darryl, I need you to get to him and fast."

"I'm already on my way to Benning to pick him up."

"He isn't there, Darryl."

"What?!"

"He never made it to Benning. The prisoner who arrived in his place was a decoy, an almost perfect double who was disguised as Isaac. Shepard should be getting a report about it any minute now."

"Son of a-Then where the hell is he?!" Hawkins raged.

"Sanction." Miranda whispered while struggling to hold back her tears.

"Oh no. Not that nightmare. Damn it, we gotta move. Gina, have Ozzy change course." Hawkins ordered with an air of desperation.

"Already done. We'll get there Darryl, as fast as the Shiloh can carry us." Torres assured him.

"Not Isaac, not that place. Who the hell…" Hawkins anxiously pondered while Torres gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"A lot of people are going to answer for this." Shepard furiously announced before disappearing.

"Liara only just discovered the truth but there's more. The warden of that hellish abomination is planning to hand Isaac over to those creatures we've been hearing about. He's made some sort of deal with them."

"That's not happening." Hawkins firmly stated. "I'll get to him Miranda, I promise. Too many bastards are pissing me off right now and when I find out who's responsible for orchestrating all of this, there's gonna be hell to pay."

"That goes without saying." Miranda agreed. "Be careful Darryl. I'm worried about Isaac but if anything were to happen to you…Allie, Angelica, the boys, none of us would-"

"I haven't gone down yet, have I?" Hawkins quietly joked. "I'll be fine Miranda and so will Isaac if I have anything to say about it."

"Good, then there's nothing to worry about." she quickly responded while forcing a smile. "I'm on my way to Grissom to gather Hannah and the children."

"Why?"

"I think you know. We can't afford to be careless right now, especially with everything that's recently happened. I've contacted Allie, Angelica and Cammie. Fortunately, they're already at Arcturus. Leanne's still on Ilium but Liara can keep an eye on her until Jacob arrives to get her. Jayce is still stationed in Joughin, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Good, that makes things easier. He shouldn't have any problems making his way to Arcturus. Benning is practically next door to the station. Keith is with Benji and Noah aboard the Normandy. We're lucky they were already taking a trip with David and Sophie. I suppose Will and Cassie can stay put on the Citadel with their troublemakers as long as they reinforce their security measures-"

"Miranda! Calm down and explain yourself. Why are you trying to gather everyone on Arcturus?"

"Because right now it's the safest place I can think of for all of you. Darryl, horrible things are being set into motion."

Seeing the normally unflappable Miranda in such a troubled state quickly unnerved him. "What else did you find out?" he seriously asked.

"That we're surrounded from all sides." she quietly informed him. "I'm planning to make contact with Mal."

"That's a bad idea. I don't know if you've heard but we aren't exactly Hunter's favorite people right now."

"I know and I know why. I won't approach him directly, not at first. A mutual friend will, a friend who can hopefully convince him to see reason."

"This must be pretty bad if we're calling on him and his Wolves for help."

"Darryl, believe it or not, he'll need us as much as we'll need him. I just hope he can be persuaded."

"Yeah…me too. For Angelica's sake anyway. Good luck, Miranda."

"Take care, Darryl."

With those final words, Miranda's image disappeared and Hawkins found himself standing alone with his XO.

"Things are getting pretty rough." Torres quietly remarked while maintaining her grip on Hawkins' shoulder. "We could really use our Thunder Blade right now."

"Maybe, but if I know him he's probably mixed up in his own messes." Hawkins sadly joked before turning to leave the room. "It's about time we got ready. Isaac is waiting for us."

* * *

Inside a large, lavish office at a discreet location that happened to be home to a large number of corporate HQs, a bored company head was admiring the view from his window while smiling. He was holding a glass of expensive wine and marveling at just how easy it was to make someone disappear if you had the credits and connections to do it. Working at the behest of a few 'gods' also helped. After taking a sip of his drink, he noticed footsteps behind him and calmly turned to face his guest, an attractive woman with a petite figure, short dark hair and a serious expression.

"Bad news?"

"Pryce is dead and he failed to secure Graham's research."

"That's too bad. I was really hoping for a bit of light reading later." the mystery man quipped. "Well, at least he didn't cause any damage to the academy. I do have fond memories of the place."

"I was expecting you to be more upset."

"And why would I be? Very soon our masters will have the source of the research himself. The warden has been paid and provided with an extra incentive to 'coerce' a few details from Professor Graham while he's in Sanction's custody."

"Are you sure that's wise? We can't afford to have him die before the arbiters arrive."

The mystery man simply chuckled before strolling across the room to face his colleague who was standing in front of a large and elegant aquarium that was resting in the center of the office. After softly brushing her cheek, he took another sip of his wine before offering a response.

"The warden knows how important Graham is and he also knows how angry the arbiters will be if anything were to happen to their potential asset. The Gen Two soldiers are far more powerful and far less patient than their counterparts who are still operating in the Terminus Systems. Their leader is also infinitely more savage than Augury. No, the warden won't dare risk angering Omen."

"You do realize Captain Hawkins is probably on his way to rescue his brother-in-law?"

"Wonderful! He's only hastened his own demise. I just wish I could see the look on his dear wife's face once she realizes that he's taken his last breath. I wasn't planning to start with her husband but I suppose I'll have to adjust my plans. First Hawkins, then maybe one of her sons, her precious daughter and of course her brothers-"

"We agreed you'd leave Ethan out of your vendetta."

"Ah, that's right. I keep forgetting about your _history_ with him. Fine, he was always a nuisance but I have far bigger targets to focus on at the moment. You can keep your beloved Ethan, just see to it that he and his irksome brother continue to chase shadows on the Citadel." the mystery man continued before running a finger across her cheek which she promptly slapped away.

"I thought you were going to concentrate on the Hunters. Aren't they our biggest threat? Isn't the Terminus Hunter the one you really want to kill?"

"All in good time. Besides, he's already lost a loved one. It would only be fair for the Shepards to share the same fate. And I have a very special surprise waiting for Hunter's intrepid children once they reach Noveria. I know they'll come. They're so reckless and headstrong, I love it."

"What about Illium? Are we really going to leave the operation in the hands of pirates? Again?"

"You know, the Forgotten are a fascinating bunch. Bitter, neglected but survivors nonetheless. Especially the younger members, the truly forgotten." the man mused before once again laughing.

"What are you talking about? The Forgotten are remnants of Equinox's military forces. None of them are young. Unless you're implying that they've recruited a few street urchins or conscripted some slaves."

"So brilliant but so blind." the man responded in amusement. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it. Our forgotten friends will get the job done and deliver another important piece to us."

"Leanne Shepard." The woman whispered. "Can't we-"

"No, we can't." her associate coldly interjected before she could continue. "You know, this attachment that you have to Ethan Shepard while adorable is beginning to annoy a few of our colleagues. They're starting to question whether or not you have what it takes to follow through on our endeavors."

"I haven't failed yet, have I?"

"That's debatable darling. Krevrak alerted Ethan Shepard and Urdnot Wrex right under your nose along with Councilor Kang."

"I mitigated the damage by providing false leads. Thanks to me, he still doesn't know who deployed Vellus and the others."

"True, I suppose you aren't completely useless. Now do me a favor, keep Ethan Shepard close and continue to play the part of supportive friend while sabotaging his investigation. Do what you can to hinder the krogan as well. Krevrak is proving to be surprisingly insightful, an annoying surprise given his race's reputation. Keep an eye on the salarians too. They've been far too quiet and I don't trust the silence."

"Anything else?" the woman asked in aggravation.

"Yes, try to smile more. You're much prettier when you smile." the man replied before beaming himself. His associate quickly stormed off leaving him thoroughly amused.

"I do love when a plan comes together. Soon Allie, soon you'll see just how powerful I've become." he calmly announced. "And so will you, Hunter."

* * *

Inside a dank, filthy, bloodstained holding cell, a peace-loving professor was finally regaining consciousness after his most recent bout of torture at the hands of his captors. As he struggled to focus his hazy eyesight, the surroundings in the immediate area slowly came into focus. His small prison was devoid of anything other than a soiled cot that appeared to have fresh crimson stains running along its base. The view outside his cell was even more depressing as all manner of alien prisoners gawked at him from every direction while in their own confinement. After releasing a groan, he finally managed to sit himself up and take stock of his injuries. The guards hadn't been gentle and his beatings had begun almost as soon as his Alliance thrall escorts had delivered him before promptly dropping dead of what appeared to be brain aneurysms.

"Well, I've always believed in making the best of a situation but that may prove to be a bit more taxing this time." Isaac quietly lamented.

After making his remark, he heard a slight shuffling in the cell next to his. "Hey Doc! You awake yet?"

"I suppose I am. Can I help you?"

"I doubt it. You didn't look like much even before the sadistic bastards around here beat you to hell."

"My apologies for appearing to be frail."

"Don't worry about it. You're a civvy after all and a doctor too. How did you end up here?"

"It's kind of a long story. How did you know I was a doctor?"

"I heard the guards call you professor and just put two and two together. Unless that's some kind of alias but you don't really look like a criminal. I guess you could be a chem mixer or an underworld surgeon but somehow I doubt it.

"Well, your assumption would be correct. I happen to be a professor of biotic studies at Grissom Academy." Isaac proudly stated while silently wishing he could return home to his family.

"No kidding? You know my mentor has a brother-in-law who…and Cammie has an uncle…wait a minute. Your name wouldn't happen to be Isaac Graham, would it?"

"It is, do I know you?"

"I can't believe this!" the stranger replied in exasperation before chuckling at the absurdity of the situation. "No Professor, you don't know me but I know plenty about you thanks to Darryl and Cammie."

"You're acquainted with Darryl and one of my nieces? How?"

"I think a few introductions are in order." the unseen youth from the neighboring cell announced. "The name's Bishop, Lloyd Bishop or Thunder Blade if you'd prefer. Second Lieutenant in the Alliance Navy and the most unruly soldier you'll ever meet other than the Brawler. I think we've got a few things we need to discuss."

Isaac wasn't quite sure what to make of his strange neighbor but one thing was certain. If Hawkins had in fact acted as a teacher to the young man, then he was definitely a force to be reckoned with.


	27. Chapter 27 Escape

Chapter 27: Escape

Privately run prisons weren't a rarity in the galaxy, in fact they'd become fairly profitable business ventures during the recent decade thanks to an influx of criminals and terrorists who were more often than not another sad reminder of the bloody war that had been waged only a couple of decades earlier. Former soldiers who'd become unhinged, extremists who were dissatisfied with the current state of the galaxy and of course, pirates who fell victim to the occasional peacekeeping operation on the borders of the fringe systems. Dealing with such unsavory outlaws had become a tiresome task for most governments and many turned to the ever expanding private military industry to incarcerate their undesirables. Their contractors were more than happy to oblige…for a price. Thus, the prison industry boom began and at the moment, no company was profiting more than the Tiburon Rojos. What began as an anonymous Earth based mercenary company of little to no notoriety had quickly grown into a massive security firm that specialized almost exclusively in private incarceration. Their rise to power allowed them to expand from a single main headquarters in Mexico City on Earth to multiple high profile installations that were scattered across several systems. They were officially the largest and most successful privately run prison firm in the galaxy and had contracts with nearly every species on the Citadel.

Given the latitude with which they were allowed to operate, few questioned their methods and practically no one knew where they housed their captives, no one except for those with eyes and ears in the darker parts of the galaxy. Whispers of one prison in particular that held the galaxy's absolute worst echoed across the underworld. A complex whose architects had taken a great deal of inspiration from the now long destroyed Purgatory but twisted the idea even further. It could've been compared to hell if one were being generous. Even hell had standards. Sadists, murderers, lunatics, slavers and worse called the infamous prison home and those were just the guards. The monsters occupying the cells were another brand of evil entirely. That was normally the case anyway. But at the moment, two tiny jails were holding a pair of men whose incarceration happened to be a matter of chance and horrible luck.

"…so anyway, Darryl taught me everything I know about being a soldier. I owe him a lot. Him, Gabe, Old Man Hackett and everyone aboard the Shiloh. They all had a hand in raising me." Bishop fondly explained from his cell while Isaac listened intently.

"I had no idea. Darryl never struck me as the mentoring type. Though, I suppose he could be capable of doing quite well in such a role, just like Jack." Isaac pondered.

"I'm not surprised he never mentioned me. I'm…kind of a touchy subject with the older members of the Shepard family, especially Captain David and the Admiral."

"Why?"

"I'm in a relationship with Cammie and they don't approve. Actually, they both forbade me from going anywhere near her." Bishop reluctantly explained.

"I'll admit, I don't know you very well but so far you seem to be a decent enough young man. Why exactly are the Admiral and David so hostile towards you? The Admiral has a certain history when it comes to this sort of behavior but David has always been reasonable." Isaac inquired.

"It all goes back to how we first met and to be honest, I'd prefer not to go into any details. You're a nice guy Professor and I'd rather you not hate me too. It would be nice if I could finally make a good first impression on someone else in Cammie's family other than Keith and Angelica." Bishop lamented.

"I see. Well Lieutenant, consider yourself on my good side for the time being." Isaac earnestly replied. "You'll get bonus points if you can figure out a way to free us from this wretched place." he humorously added.

"No sweat, I was thinking about leaving now anyway. I've gathered all the intel I came for and set the stage for these bastards to get their comeuppance, so I think it's about time I left. Feel free to tag along Professor." Bishop casually responded before falling silent.

A few moments later, Isaac heard a few muffled sounds from his neighbor's cell along with a mild bout of coughing and finally a grunt. "Damn thing was more stubborn than usual. Why'd it have to be a molar? Probably one of Gabe's jokes…mischievous bastard." Bishop muttered.

Less than a minute after his puzzling behavior and remark, a loud explosion echoed from his cell, alerting everyone in the vicinity to his escape. Every prisoner in the hall went into a frenzy as a squad of guards quickly appeared and bolted towards the source of the disturbance while an alarm sounded.

After observing the guards speed by, Isaac immediately heard the sounds of gunfire and a struggle that apparently didn't last long. Within minutes, Bishop appeared in front of his neighbor's cell while dragging the deceased form of a Tiburon Rojos prison guard. He quickly used the dead man's omni-tooled hand to shut down the force field on Isaac's cell and the battered, peace-loving professor finally got to meet his new friend face to face.

The youth certainly looked the part of a soldier. He was tall, muscular and obviously in peak physical condition. But his rebellious streak was also evident based on the tattoos adorning his body. Like Isaac and every other prisoner in the facility, Bishop had been stripped down to his underwear before being incarcerated and his assortment of ink work was in clear view for all to see. The first and most glaring piece of artistry was a stylized cursive script across the left side of his chest that read, 'Property of Cameron Shepard' accompanied by the shape of a heart. Isaac couldn't help but admire the youth's confidence and sheer nerve for getting such a bold yet silly declaration imprinted on his body. Before he could marvel at what had no doubt been his wayward niece's personal signature, Bishop calmly entered the cell while dragging another deceased guard and Isaac was able to catch a glimpse of his other markings. Both of his arms were covered with intricate designs that were too numerous to count. One in particular that did stand out was a slender dagger that was radiating lightening. His back however, bore yet another masterwork that the self-proclaimed unruly soldier obviously wore with pride. An enormous and fearsome looking black dog with a smile on its face and a bone in its mouth was front and center while yet another stylized text ran below the image in a rough but bold script. 'Raised on the Shiloh and Bad to the Bone'

"I think you and Jack would get along quite well." Isaac chuckled after scanning the markings.

"Hmm? Oh, you saw my tats? Gina, the Shiloh's XO, did them for me a few years back. But the one on my chest is Cammie's work. She's got one from me too on her-"

"I don't need to hear anymore." Isaac quickly interrupted in embarrassment. He could only imagine how furious David would be if he ever found out. Cameron was a handful at the best of times and her career in the Alliance hadn't humbled her. If anything, she'd become even more willful. Luckily, her unit appreciated her attitude and the skills that came with it.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting you're her uncle. I just can't seem to stop screwing up when it comes to the old people in her family. Most of them think I'm a bad influence who's not good enough for her. That's one of the reasons why I decided to put some distance between myself and Darryl…and Cammie-At least for a little while. Things are tense enough as it is between him and the Admiral. The last thing Darryl needs is me hanging around causing more fights. He's always had my back but it's always costing him too. I know he doesn't give a damn about his rank or promotions but he should definitely be an admiral someday. His chances would be a lot better if he didn't waste his time worrying about all of us, especially me. I never asked to be a SPECTRE candidate." Bishop lamented.

"I'm sorry, what?" Isaac asked in shock.

"Nothing, let's get moving Professor." Bishop quickly responded before stripping the larger of his dead aggressors.

The deceased man, though formidable, was still slightly smaller than Bishop who found his armor to be a little snug. "It's bad enough I have to wear this shitty getup in the first place. You bastards could at least carry a set that fits me." he grumbled while relieving the dead man of his weapons as well.

After cocking and checking the sights on a Spider Heavy Pistol and a new model Slaughter Shotgun, the latest in the Eviscerator series, Bishop took a moment to frown at the ugly shark image decorating his stolen armor before finally turning his attention back to Isaac.

"This might be a little rough for you Professor but I'm gonna need you to gear up and-"

Bishop found himself slightly surprised when he noticed that Isaac had already taken a cue from him and equipped his own armor and armaments after stripping the other guard that Bishop had dragged inside his cell.

"I had hoped these days were long behind me." Isaac sighed after checking the sights on his own pistol.

"Huh. You uh, you have combat experience?" Bishop curiously inquired.

"Yes, sadly I do. But we can discuss that later, for now I think we should begin our departure. Do you have an escape plan?"

"Yeah, but I don't think you're gonna like it." Bishop replied in hesitation.

"And why is that?"

"Because it involves me finishing my original mission which was demolishing this place." Bishop admitted.

"This prison may hold a disturbing amount of disreputable filth but I hardly think genocide is an appropriate course of action." Isaac argued.

"It's not just about the scum who are locked up here but also about the trash that holds their leashes, literally. The Tiburon Rojos aren't benevolent jailers by any means. They've picked up where the Blue Suns left off decades ago and auction their most dangerous prisoners to the highest bidder. They even run an extortion racket by shaking down smaller colonies and settlements with threats that involve releasing some of these animals on the surface. I don't normally advocate this kind of thing but I'm out here as a favor to Admiral Neilon. He wanted me to do some investigating and to shut this operation down if I could. His grandniece was assaulted by a piece of shit that came out of here and I sympathize with how he feels. He's the only admiral in the Alliance that I actually respect. It's gonna be a sad day when the old guy finally retires. I damn sure won't be getting the leeway I get now to operate once he does if Shepard has his way." Bishop explained.

Isaac simply released another sigh before resigning himself to the inevitable. "I suppose I'd better get to work on a more lengthy prayer to honor these unfortunate miscreants' demise."

"The sin will be mine and mine alone, Professor." Bishop assured him before leading the way outside the cell. "First thing's first, we need to make our way to the cell block control center and release all the prisoners. That should cause enough chaos for us to escape."

"Are you insane?! We can't just release these people! They're dangerous! What if a few of them happened to escape the prison complex?!"

"I wouldn't worry about that. I sabotaged the docking bays during my initial incursion. The sensor arrays and guidance controls for the ships are a complete mess too. My shuttle is the only one that can make it out of here and I'm the only one who can pilot it thanks to a handy little security feature that I had added before I made my way here." Bishop explained.

Isaac found himself growing more wary of his partner's plan by the minute. "And exactly how do you plan to destroy this place? Even with the mayhem that releasing the prisoners will undoubtedly cause, I doubt we could simply-"

"Plant a bomb?" Bishop finished for him. "Already done. The eezo core on this dump is set to go boom in," he quickly took a moment to check the time on his omni-tool, "A little less than two hours. Maybe I gave myself too much time." he pondered, soliciting a look of utter incredulity from Isaac.

Before he could voice his complaints or concerns, the duo found themselves being intercepted by a small squad of prison guards. Isaac had already prepared himself to use lethal force to get past them but quickly discovered that his resolve was unnecessary. His partner had killed four men in rapid succession using martial prowess and electricity. Isaac wasn't sure how he'd done it or even if what he'd seen was real. The young man's movements were so rapid that he could've sworn his limbs had actually disappeared during his maneuvers…

They continued to dash through hallways and corridors while alarms sounded across the complex before eventually making it to the cell block control center where a pair of guards was already barring their progress with their weapons drawn. Before the irate mercenaries could open fire, Isaac quickly unleashed a rather potent reave that instantly killed them.

"Damn Professor, you're a biotic? No wait, duh. Professor of biotic studies. Man, I really am slow sometimes." Bishop casually mused before leading the way inside the control room.

As he began his work, Isaac was suddenly struck with a thought that hadn't occurred to him until that very moment. "Lieutenant, why did you wait until now to make your escape? More importantly, how were you captured in the first place?"

"I let them catch me." Bishop replied nonchalantly. "Do you really think I could break into this place and go completely unnoticed? After I screwed up the docking bays and planted my party favor, some of the less stupid grunts started to notice a few glitches in their security grid and went on alert. So, I made my way to the warden's office and tried to kill him. They figured it was a simple hit attempt and tossed me in a cell after beating on me for a few hours. I was planning to slip out once I felt up to it but then I noticed them dragging you in. You didn't look like a criminal, so I got curious. I'm glad I did. I would've never forgiven myself if I'd let something happen to Darryl's brother-in-law and Cammie's uncle."

"I see. You've certainly picked up Darryl's reckless streak. As for your combat techniques…exactly what-"

"Bingo! The cells are now officially open. Let's be on our way Professor." Bishop cheerfully interjected before slapping Isaac across the back and leading the way out of the control room.

"Hmm, I can see how he might leave a negative first impression. Still, he isn't the bad sort. But I'm afraid he'll never meet the admiral's demanding standards." Isaac quietly lamented before quickly following his new friend.

* * *

 **"Unacceptable."**

"It's just a mild setback, I assure you. We're still in control."

The leader of the Sanction division of the Tiburon Rojos and warden of the prison found himself in a very unenviable position. He and several of his men had been forced to greet a client who they were fully aware should NEVER be angered. They'd been paid to detain Isaac Graham and interrogate him until his new captors could arrive. Unfortunately, he'd escaped and the prison itself was facing large-scale riots and jailbreaks thanks in no small part to Isaac's accomplice.

 **"You were warned and we are not known for our patience."**

The words practically exploded inside the warden's head as he and a pair of his guards stumbled slightly from the remark while their noses bled. Standing before them were three of the most frightening beings in existence-Huge, hulking, monstrosities with oversized craniums, three fingers on each hand and the trademark carapace-like armor that was a staple of their forces. But there was something more. While their counterparts in the Terminus Systems wore beige armor, theirs happened to be red, a deep and ominous crimson that shimmered ever so slightly in the dimly lit office where they were currently looming. They also shared the same symbols, though the rank and danger that they indicated was easily twice as foreboding as their colleagues. Two of the creatures bore an orange circle on their chest plates while their colossal leader was marked with an orange V. He was easily the most terrifying among the visitors and not above proving why.

 **"Deliver the Graham human as promised or suffer the consequences."**

A split second later, the warden's men both dropped dead next to him after experiencing some rather violent seizures.

"O-Of course! Y-Yes! I-I'll have him brought to you within the hour!" the warden spluttered with no small amount of fear.

He was immensely relieved when another one of his guards entered the room. After recoiling slightly at the sight of his deceased colleagues, the mercenary quietly relayed a message to his boss after approaching him.

"It's that Alliance pendejo that we caught earlier. He's helping Graham. They're heading for the docking bays."

"Senior no name, wasn't it? I was looking forward to getting my hands on him again." the warden quietly seethed. "Gather the boys and meet me at the elevator. I'm going to personally see to it that our Alliance friend never becomes a father." he added with a malicious grin after pulling out a knife and toying with the blade.

 **"Graham is your priority."**

The order quickly jolted the warden back to reality where his menacing guests were still standing in his office. "O-Of course. We'll have Graham for you soon enough." he assured them before departing with his subordinate.

" **Useless. Come, we'll capture Graham ourselves."**

 **"What if he resists?"**

 **"Securing him alive would be preferable. But ultimately, we have other ways to extract what we seek from him. Contact the ships. I want Proletarian forces deployed on this miserable piece of wreckage, NOW. Their orders are to terminate everyone who isn't Graham."**

 **"Including the human guards?"**

 **"Need I repeat myself?"**

 **"No Omen, we understand."**

As bad as the situation was, it was about to get a lot worse.


	28. Chapter 28 His Hero

Chapter 28: His Hero

"I hope Simon is getting the proper rest and that Katelyn isn't pushing herself too hard to be strong like Hannah. I have to get home and soon." Isaac anxiously stated while standing watch at the entrance of a supply room.

He and Bishop had managed to fight their way into a guard station that was en route to the docking bays. Making a quick stop to gather ammunition, explosives and spare thermal clips seemed to make a lot of sense given the current state of anarchy that the prison was in.

"Don't worry Professor, I'll get you back safe and sound. Maybe I can meet your kids once we make it out of here. Cammie's always talking about her cousins. I already got to see Keith whenever Darryl brought him aboard the Shiloh for a visit. The kid and I sparred a few times for fun, he's actually pretty good. Kev sent me some tickets for one of his fights not too long ago, the seats were great. And Jayce…well, I don't have to get friendly with everyone." Bishop cheerfully remarked before growing slightly bitter after mentioning Hawkins' oldest son. He quickly recovered and continued his recollections while ransacking a few ammo crates. "I've also hung out with Angelica plenty of times and Leanne got me a discount on some really sweet omni-tools awhile back. They're both pretty cool and popular too, just like Cammie." he pleasantly continued while loading up on armaments. "Now that I think about it, most of the initial introductions went lousy for one reason or another except for my first meeting with Angelica and Keith. But they all gave me a second chance. It seems like Cammie's brothers and cousins are a lot easier to get along with than their parents. Most of them anyway. They're a lot of fun too and I always get a kick out of the jealous looks we attract whenever I'm escorting the girls out somewhere." he added before laughing. He abruptly stopped after an annoying realization suddenly struck him. "Damn it! I hope no sleazy bastards have been making any moves on Cammie while I've been gone!" he raged. "Then again, with my luck her father probably set her up on another blind date with some dickless pencil pusher. Real nice guy, your brother-in-law." he sarcastically added without bothering to hide his agitation.

"Perhaps I can try persuading David to give you a chance to make a better impression. I'm still quite puzzled over why he dislikes you so much. It isn't in his nature to be so judgmental."

"Like I said before, our first meeting was a complete disaster and the worst possible way any father could meet his daughter's boyfriend which is why part of me can understand why he hates my guts so much. The fact that the admiral happened to be there too was just icing on the cake." Bishop sadly explained before rejoining Isaac at the door. "Promise me something Professor. Once you do hear the story, try not to hate me too much yourself."

"As I said before, you seem like a perfectly decent young man to me. I can't imagine hating you, though my assessment will likely mean little to the others. I'm not exactly an authoritative voice in the Shepard family. Hannah and I have maintained a certain distance from most of her siblings due to their involvement in the military. I can't say it's a decision I'm proud of but…perhaps having children changes us. We love and nurture them, watch them grow and eventually find ourselves facing their departure into the precarious realm of adulthood. Despite that, the desire to protect them remains and may even blind us to reason. In that regard, I can certainly understand David's feelings." Isaac earnestly explained.

"Damn Professor, that was deep. But I still think you're the coolest old guy I've met in Cammie's family other than Darryl."

"Thanks, I guess."

"No problem. Now let's be on our way. This place has officially become an even worse hell than it already was and I'm not eager to stick around and watch it get uglier."

"I couldn't agree more. Let's go."

The two men continued their trek through several chaotic warzones that included prisoners of every species clashing with Tiburon Rojo guards who were finding themselves outnumbered and in some cases, overpowered. After observing a rampaging yahg tear the arms off his former jailor, Bishop and Isaac quickened their pace considerably while carefully avoiding drawing attention to themselves. Their cautiousness worked for the most part until they actually reached the elevator that had been their destination.

"Don't look now but I think we've been spotted." Bishop warned as a small mob of prisoners began closing in on them.

The inmates were unfortunately armed thanks to their recent murder of a small squadron of guards. They were also deranged or at the very least, bloodthirsty and irrational based on their manic appearances.

"This brings back far too many unpleasant memories." Isaac lamented while struggling to summon the elevator.

Bishop could see how uneasy his companion was and quickly took the initiative of dispatching their enemies himself. After summoning a pair of omni-tools, he immediately created a power surge in both before releasing an explosive blast of electricity at the opposition, completely flooring them. As the elevator arrived, he shoved Isaac inside before tossing an inferno grenade at the stunned prisoners and entering himself. The explosive went off just as the doors closed behind them and both men breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, I'm guessing you fought in the war." Bishop carefully inquired while observing Isaac. "Darryl told about some of the monsters he faced and I wouldn't want that crap haunting me."

"No, you wouldn't. Lieutenant, take it from someone who's seen a great deal more evil than he ever wanted to, the worst monsters are the ones who wear the faces of men." Isaac solemnly responded while trembling slightly. After their elevator came to a stop, he finally calmed himself and took a deep breath.

"You gonna be alright Professor?"

"Yes, I won't slow us down. I'm sorry about this, Lieutenant. Many years ago, I made the choice to fight and I'm still carrying the consequences of that decision and the scars. This…this is the part of me that no one else is supposed to see. My fear, my weakness, my frailty, my shame. It's a part of me that only Hannah has had the misfortune of witnessing during my occasional nightmares and by the grace of god, she's carried me through it. I'm not a strong man, Lieutenant. I'm not a soldier like the rest and I'm afraid war has left a far more debilitating mark on me." Isaac sadly explained. "So you see, I'm not a man you should admire."

"Well that's too bad because I still do, maybe even more." Bishop plainly stated. "I don't have a clue what you, Darryl and all the other guys who fought in the war went through but what I do know is that you didn't break. You both soldiered on and put your effort into making this galaxy a better place, each in your own way. Most of the Alliance scoffs at Darryl behind his back even though he's saved hundreds of those ungrateful bastards over the years. They call him a demon and a rabid dog who's only useful to have on hand when a situation calls for blood. His own son is actually ashamed…my point is, he wears that label with pride and does plenty of good with it. Every member of the Shiloh's crew was rescued by the Biotic Brawler. He gave them a place where they could all feel welcome in spite of their pasts and reputations. But more importantly he gave them a home. And he also happened to give a foulmouthed punk who tried to rob him one day a chance at a future. The very same thing you give to every student in your care. Heroes aren't just legends or galactic saviors, the people who help make tomorrow brighter, they're just as important Professor. Don't ever forget that."

Isaac spent a few moments staring back into the earnest eyes of a young man who hadn't stopped surprising him since they'd first met. "I think you're a far better man than you let on Lloyd Bishop, just like someone else I happen to know."

"Damn Professor, you're a cool guy and all but also a terrible judge of character. Let's go." Bishop humorously responded before opening the elevator and leading the way forward.

Isaac simply smiled while following him. The duo had officially arrived at the docking bays where they promptly met a sizable contingent of Tiburon Rojo guards and the warden himself.

"Arturo, nice to see you again. I noticed you got your stomach patched up pretty well. A real shame I had to spill so much of your blood earlier but I guess you didn't really learn anything since you decided to follow me down here." Bishop quipped while eyeing the warden.

"Matar a ese cabron!"

"Yeah, well, right back at you!" Bishop shouted in response to the warden's angry outburst.

He then drew his shotgun and began firing a series of surprisingly powerful disruptor rounds. They were clearly more potent than normal and Isaac quickly noticed that the young soldier had summoned his omni-tools while firing and that they were glowing as he continued his rampage. After surprising their enemies with his unexpectedly destructive assault, Bishop immediately dove on top of Isaac to shield him from their retaliatory shots.

"Just let me handle this Professor. After all, you're a schoolteacher now." he firmly ordered after tucking Isaac behind a cargo container.

Once Isaac was out of harm's way, Bishop switched weapons and began executing everyone in range with disruptor rounds from his pistol. They were once again proving to be far more lethal than an ordinary barrage as his omni-tools flashed during his onslaught. His opposition's shields were proving to be as useful as paper against the gunfire and Bishop's precision was too keen to ignore. After executing a substantial portion of the guards, he promptly stunned the stragglers with an overload that seemed to engulf their entire squad in electricity. Before they could recover, he tossed a pair of inferno grenades to finish them off and ignored the flames and screams of agony while he closed in on the warden who was both furious and astonished by the display. The warden then revealed a surprise of his own when he pulled out a missile launcher and began opening fire on his adversary.

Bishop quickly avoided the bombardment by leaping behind a damaged Tiburon Rojo shuttle. While in cover, he began channeling a series of Foucault Currents through his omni-tools before extending a pair of omni-blades that were now charged with the energy.

"Adios Arturo." he whispered before dashing from his cover position.

While closing in on his target all four of his limbs disappeared, confounding the warden who'd just run out of missiles. Bishop's arms and the rest of his appendages reappeared the moment he sank both of his electrified omni-blades into his victim's chest. He promptly retracted them as his quarry fell to the floor and casually returned to Isaac's cover position.

"We can leave now, Professor. My shuttle isn't far."

"That was quite the display. I've never seen anyone utilize omni-tools in such a manner before. And the way you harnessed Foucault Currents and a partial tactical cloak…Lieutenant, you aren't an ordinary soldier, are you?"

"Of course I'm not ordinary. I'm a cut above incredible. Why else do you think I'm allowed to handle ops like this alone? But don't get the wrong idea. I'm no tech genius or anything, I'm just a brawler who learned how to use electricity for his own benefit. Some people use omni-tools for programming, hacking, decryption, repair jobs and a bunch of other boring garbage that puts me to sleep. I use my mine to play with lightning and kill people who piss me off." Bishop explained.

"Thunder Blade, I think I understand now. An appropriate title and an impressive one." Isaac mused before getting to his feet.

"Gina was the one who came up with it. I wanted to have a nickname with 'brawler' in it but mommy always did get her way." Bishop humorously lamented.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, it's hard to explain. I never had a family of my own but that sort of changed when I met Darryl. After he picked me up I spent most of my time bouncing between the Shiloh, Gabe's place and Old Man Hackett's. Gabe is an old friend of Darryl's and he used to serve as his XO on the Shiloh before he retired and started his security firm. And I'm guessing you already know who Hackett is. I mean, how couldn't you? He's the former Head of the Alliance Navy. Anyway, whenever Darryl was at home and the Shiloh was docked on Earth, I'd stay at Hackett's place in Buenos Aires and spend the occasional weekend with Gabe. But my favorite home was always the Shiloh. It may sound weird but those guys became my family. And I'm not ashamed to admit that Darryl is like a father to me. It's been that way ever since we first met…"

* * *

" _Did you just try to rob me kid?"_

" _Yeah, so what? You Alliance guys think you're so tough! Well I've beaten down every rookie and recruit that's ever come through this base. They all lost to this 'kid' and now I'm rich! So HAHAHA!"_

" _Rich huh? Is that why you're still fighting and stealing to feed yourself?"_

" _Shut up old man! You don't know a damn thing about me!"_

" _I know plenty kid. So, are you hungry?"_

" _Fuck off!"_

" _Fine, but if you happen to be in the mood for a sandwich with no strings attached, I'll be in the diner down the road. Just ask for Captain Hawkins. Daisy will know where to find me, I'm a regular whenever I'm in town."_

" _You're a captain?"_

" _Yeah, against all odds, I'm a captain. I also happen to be a SPECTRE if you're curious. I can give you my full credentials over lunch. I'm starving and the mess hall here is awful."_

" _I know what you mean. The rolls are stale, the chicken is always dry, even the bottled water tastes funny. Looting the leftovers from this place is just depressing-Hey! You tricked me!"_

" _How so?"_

" _Shut up! Just shut up! You don't know me!"_

" _So do you want to change that or not? Despite the rumors, I'm not always a demon who's out for blood."_

" _What?"_

" _So you don't know me either. How about that? Are you coming or what kid?"_

" _Y-Yeah, I am! I'm gonna stuff myself on your credits old man and leave you with the bill!"_

" _Whatever you say kid."_

" _Stop calling me kid. The name's Bishop, Lloyd Bishop."_

" _Well Lloyd Bishop, my name is Hawkins. Darryl Hawkins. It's nice to meet you."_

" _Can we just skip the introductions and get to the food? Actually, that's not a bad idea."_

" _Hey kid! Bishop! Lloyd! Wait up!"_

* * *

Bishop's brief recollection was gently interrupted when Isaac posed his next question.

"I don't mean to pry, but I feel it would be more appropriate to ask you directly rather than approach Darryl. Why…that is to say, Darryl has a house and-"

"Why didn't he adopt me?" Bishop laughed. "Professor I told you before, didn't I? I'm the most unruly soldier in the Alliance other than Darryl. You may not believe this but I was even worse as a kid. I gave everyone trouble, especially Darryl and Gina. It took a ship full of outcasts to keep me in line and a former navy admiral. Darryl already had Keith to deal with at home, he didn't need a reckless, disrespectful teenager to add to his problems."

"I suppose that's true, Keith does have a history of being somewhat difficult at times." Isaac agreed. "So you ended up forming familial bonds with those closest to you."

"Is that a problem or are you just analyzing me?"

"No, I'm simply being curious. It's a habit of mine, I'm sorry if you find it off-putting. Besides, psychiatry isn't my field."

"I guess that's good to know." Bishop replied in amusement while leading the way towards his shuttle. "Well like I said before, Darryl is like a dad to me and that'll never change. Hackett is my stern ass grandpa and Gabe is my fun loving uncle who's not shy about getting us both into trouble from time to time. And regardless of what Gina says, she's mommy. She was mommy the moment we first met and even now-"

Bishop's explanation was promptly cut short when his shuttle suddenly exploded several meters away, knocking both him and Isaac backwards. As the duo scrambled back to their feet, they noticed that they weren't alone. Several strange aliens were swarming into the docking bays from the elevators and attempting to surround them. The creatures were unlike anything either of them had ever seen before with massive physical builds, large craniums, three fingers on each hand and deep crimson armor that was almost organic in appearance and resembled a sleek fitting shell. After encircling the pair, the two largest of the aliens, both bearing orange circles on their chests, approached.

" **Isaac Graham, you will come us."**

The words practically pounded inside both Bishop and Isaac's heads causing them to stumble slightly from the intensity.

"Telepathy? Is that possible?" Bishop whispered.

"Perhaps, but I fear this is something far more sinister." Isaac warned.

"Yeah, no shit. Sorry, the Professor's with me. Toodles."

Bishop quickly followed up his flippant remark by creating a power surge that decimated the unusually powerful kinetic barriers of three nearby creatures before stabbing two with his omni-blades and slapping a sticky grenade on the third. He and Isaac then slid past the leaders of the hostiles and dove behind a large piece of burning debris from his now destroyed shuttle. The sound of the explosive going off was their cue to carefully peer over their cover position.

"Oh man, I can't believe this." Bishop stated in shock.

He was certain he'd taken out at least three of the creatures in his surprise attack and that his grenade would thin their numbers further. That assumption was quickly proven false when only one of the unidentified hostiles failed to recover, the one who'd absorbed the brunt of his grenade. The two he'd stabbed were already healing and the others weren't even hurt. The traces of blue blood that splattered the area, though somewhat grisly, didn't appear to bother the aliens in the slightest which only unnerved their opposition even further.

"Okay, giants with blue blood, shell-like armor, enormous heads and fucking telepathy. Who the hell did you piss off, Professor?" Bishop quietly demanded while preparing his shotgun.

"I honestly don't know. I'm still not sure why I was even brought here to begin with. I can only guess that it has something to with my research and someone's desire to discover what I've learned. That is what the guards were 'questioning' me about." Isaac earnestly responded.

"Perfect, just perfect. I've got the galaxy's most wanted scientist rolling with me. Cammie, your family is just too much." Bishop sighed. "Well, our ride is officially scrapped. But we've definitely got bigger problems now."

"I'm sorry Lieutenant. It wasn't my intention to involve you or anyone else in this madness."

"Forget about it, Professor. My girlfriend is a Shepard. This kind of crap is practically expected when it comes to your family. Speaking of Cammie, I haven't seen her in awhile and not long ago you mentioned wanting to get home to your family. I meant what I said before. We're getting out of here together."

"Lieutenant, no, Lloyd. Thank you. Now, I think it's time I repaid some of your effort on my behalf. Would you mind laying down a bit of cover fire?"

Bishop quickly obliged and fired several disruptor rounds that wreaked havoc on the enemies' shields while Isaac unleashed an enormous dark sphere that slowly engulfed the aliens.

"Nice one, Professor!" Bishop exclaimed.

His enthusiasm was short lived when the creatures suddenly absorbed Isaac's attack using their gauntlets and then redirected the energy into a series of energy blasts that tore through their targets' cover position, wounding both men in the process.

"You gotta be kidding me." Bishop groaned after rolling from his stomach.

He recovered just in time to avoid another barrage of energy blasts from his mystery antagonists. He was being attacked by three of the creatures, perhaps as payback for his initial decision to engage a trio of the monsters. One of the creatures was keeping him on the move and on the defensive from a distance using a steady storm of shots from his right hand gauntlet while his cohorts closed in using jets that had sprang forth from the back of their armor.

"Well now you're just cheating!" Bishop raged while sprinting around the docking bay.

After approaching another Tiburon Rojo shuttle, he quickly executed a jump and used the side of the aircraft as a springboard before spinning around and kicking one of his pursuers in the face. Before his assailant could recover, he sank an electrified omni-blade into the creature's chest while simultaneously gunning down his second tailgater with a series of disruptor rounds from his pistol that tore through his foe's skull. Once he confirmed they were dead, he quickly hopped inside the shuttle and began working the controls.

"Okay, okay, I trashed the sensors and took out the guidance systems on these heaps but the weapons should still…Yes! Let's see you bastards absorb this!"

A moment later he began bombarding every alien in sight with fire from the shuttle's mass accelerator cannons. His storm of destruction caused significant losses for his adversaries whose leaders eventually returned fire with a series of synchronized energy beams that instantly tore through the shuttle. One of the towering giants quickly flew to the scene of the wreck to confirm their quarry's death after deploying a pair of jets. While circling the aircraft, the monster was suddenly blasted by a massive overload that shorted out his propulsion system and sent him crashing into the ground near the destroyed shuttle.

"Surprise asshole!" Bishop roared while unloading a slew of disruptor rounds from his shotgun after appearing from within the fiery debris.

After emptying his thermal clip, he extended his omni-blades and closed in for the kill when he suddenly felt an enormous pressure inside his head. The pain was excruciating and immediately dropped him to his knees as his nose started to bleed.

" **Futile. You can't win. Your struggle is pointless."**

As Bishop writhed in agony on all fours he noticed his wounded target staring back at him and quickly realized what was happening. As his agony intensified, he promptly armed an inferno grenade and tossed it at his torturer in the hopes that it would kill him before he permanently succumbed to the creature's mental assault. The explosion and the relief that he felt afterwards told him his gamble was successful. After struggling to his feet, he stumbled over to his victim's charred remains and noticed that he'd killed one of the larger brutes who had an orange circle on his chest.

"So, a hundred points instead of ten." he quietly joked before scanning the rest of the area.

He didn't have time to savor his moment of levity before noticing that Isaac was being swarmed by the remaining creatures. He'd erected a biotic sphere but the aliens were simply draining it as the warp effects that it attempted to inflict were effortlessly absorbed by their gauntlets.

"Damn I hate these things." Bishop muttered before sending a series of Foucault Currents through his armor.

He then drew his pistol and began shredding the creatures' shields with his powered up disruptor rounds, taking the pressure off Isaac and getting their attention focused on him. It was becoming more and more obvious that the aliens weren't accustomed to having their kinetic barriers destroyed so easily but their armor was still proving to be annoyingly resilient. If it hadn't been for Bishop's superlative aim and concentrated fire, they wouldn't have likely suffered such devastating losses in such a short time. After witnessing Bishop executing one too many of his underlings with a headshot, the remaining alien leader promptly fired a series of small, silver disks at him that he instinctively dove away from. He was immediately relieved that he'd done so after watching the small devices explode once they made contact with his former position.

"I'm gettin' tired of your bullshit you big red bitch! We don't have time for this! The whole prison is gonna blow in less than an hour! You hear me! Take your freak show and get the hell outta here! WITHOUT the Professor!" Bishop roared in anger.

The colossal alien leader ignored him and promptly fired a series of energy blasts with homing properties.

"You vindictive piece of-"

The hail of energy blasts that found their mark promptly cut Bishop's insult short.

"Lloyd!"

The scream had barely escaped Isaac's mouth when he found himself within the grasp of the giant with the orange circle glimmering on his chest.

" **As I said before, you WILL come with us."**

The behemoth's victory didn't last long as a pair of electrified omni-blades pierced his back, shocking him in more ways than one.

"You get to learn two lessons before you die. Don't ever take your eyes off your target and don't ever underestimate just how tough I can make a set of armor, no matter how ugly or second rate it may be."

The alien leader never got to see his killer's face before the blades were retracted and three disruptor rounds tore through the back of his skull. Once his foe was down, Bishop staggered slightly as the remnants of his battered and stolen armor gradually fell apart while the Foucault Currents that had been reinforcing it slowly dissipated.

"You okay Professor?" he asked in between breaths.

"I'm fine, Lloyd. But I think you could use a break." Isaac kindly responded before offering the young man a shoulder to lean on.

After accepting Isaac's hospitality, Bishop turned his attention towards the scattered remains of the enemy soldiers. "I've got practically nothing left, Professor. I'm out of thermal clips and I'm down to my last few explosives. On top of that, my armor just crumbled. Things aren't looking good for our team."

"No, they aren't. But you've done your part, Lloyd. You're a fantastic soldier and I'm certain that Darryl is proud of you. So just rest a bit." Isaac calmly advised before easing Bishop to the ground.

He then summoned his own omni-tool and began tracking all of the remaining alien soldiers on the battlefield while initiating an incredibly complicated tactical scan.

"I'm glad I took the liberty of initiating a preliminary diagnostic the moment you appeared. Your attempts at abducting me and killing Lloyd also provided a bit of extra time for analysis of your armaments. If biotics alone won't work against you, then I suppose I'll have to get creative."

After pinpointing every remaining hostile's location, Isaac unleashed a sophisticated energy pulse from his omni-tool that quickly disrupted their gauntlets. Before the enemy forces could fully comprehend what he'd done, he fired three massive siege pulses from his device, obliterating the remaining stragglers. He remained alert while scanning the area to confirm that all of his targets were dead before finally banishing his omni-tool altogether and turning his attention back to Bishop, who was thoroughly astounded.

"When I was younger I had to transform my entire omni-tool in order to get the power output right. Over the years I've streamlined the process and now it's as easy as crafting an omni-blade. But to be perfectly honest, I prefer using the more mundane functions to help teach my lessons. A simple flashlight and shadow puppets can be surprisingly effective in a lecture about singularities." Isaac pleasantly explained.

"You're really something Professor." Bishop replied in a mild state of awe before chuckling a little. The two men then laughed together before quickly realizing that they still needed to find a way to escape.

"I suppose we'll have to take our chances with an enemy shuttle. I may be able to reverse some of your sabotage work if we move quickly enough." Isaac suggested.

"It's better than waiting around here to die. Let's move Professor." Bishop agreed before getting to his feet.

The moment he did so, the inside of his head nearly exploded and his mind was flooded with words he could scarcely follow.

"… **Two Controllers and this many Proletarians? Killed by a pair of ordinary humans? This is a disgrace to the entire Gen Two Division…Augury will not hear of this…We should be fighting the Hunters…No! Keep the Gen Threes out of this! We have Graham, that's all that matters…Why even ask? Dispose of him. Our time grows short…"**

The abrupt end of the jumbled tirade was marked by gunfire, explosions and the sounds of shouting that somehow drew Bishop back to reality. He hadn't realized that his eyes had been closed and he wouldn't have been surprised to discover that he'd actually fallen unconscious. Dream or nightmare, whatever he'd experienced was instantly banished once he caught sight of the image that greeted him after he awoke.

"What are we gonna do with you?" Hawkins anxiously pondered while leaning over his protégé.

"This is all your fault. He's always trying to be like you." Torres replied in a harsh but loving tone while cradling Bishop's head.

"Darryl, the professor, your brother-"

"Easy, we got him. For now anyway. But it looks like the bastards who're after him aren't gonna make this easy." Hawkins replied before standing to face down a veritable horde of arbiters in red who were being led by a titan with a V on his chest.

At his back was a wrecked Kodiak Drop Shuttle and a group of people that Bishop knew all too well. The Biotic Brawler and his crew had arrived and the fight was just getting started.


	29. Chapter 29 Broken Brawler

Chapter 29: Broken Brawler

"Zack, look after Lloyd and Isaac. Gina, Lex, Raquel, Quentin, you're all with me. It's time to get rowdy." Hawkins announced to his people.

"Stuck on babysitting duty again. Story of my life. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time I had to look after the kid." a strikingly handsome soldier with a slight stubble quipped while strolling over to Gina and Bishop. Isaac was sitting up nearby massaging his temples, apparently still recovering from his own mental assault.

"I thought you preferred avoiding ground combat? Didn't you once say risking your face in a fight was even worse than risking your life. Isn't that why you prefer being a pilot?" Gina scoffed while getting to her feet.

"Did I say that? Hmm, maybe I was hitting the bottle when I mentioned it. Or trying to get in your pants. Either way, I wasn't serious. Sometimes scars add character to a man's-"

His response went ignored as Gina walked off while pulling out a new model Phaeston. Like everyone else on the Shiloh, she was accustomed to their shuttle pilot's flirtatious behavior but still found it annoying.

"I guess nobody can compete with Big Papa."

"Zack, I've told you before but I'm telling you again, just so we're clear. Stay away from Cammie the next time she visits." Bishop humorously warned while staring up at his newly arrived guardian who responded with a smile.

"Pretty boy gets to twiddle his thumbs as usual." a muscular associate casually stated while standing next to Hawkins and eyeing the small army they were about to face. He had already prepped his custom-made Revenant and was eager to get started. "This is why I love following you, Darryl. No bureaucratic garbage, just straight up fights. And the odds are always against us, just the way I like it."

"I live to please, Quentin." Hawkins joked while clutching his own Phaeston.

"We should've brought old shitface along for this one. He's a lot uglier than these things and he loves fighting giants." a brunette wearing a visor added in amusement before taking aim with a heavily modified Javelin model sniper rifle that had just hit the market.

"I guess this will be Raquel vs. Lex, Round-What number are we on now? Nevermind, I still won the last contest and I'm still the number one sniper in this outfit." Lex confidently stated while taking aim at their enemies with an upgraded Krysae sniper rifle.

"Keep dreaming nerd. It'll give you something else to fantasize about other than those asari nude pics you've got taped up in your locker." Raquel taunted.

After Isaac finally regained his senses he made his way closer to Bishop who was already patching himself up with the medi-gel that Zack had provided him. "I'm guessing these are the soldiers who serve under Darryl?" he curiously inquired.

"The ones who usually follow him in the field, yeah." Bishop confirmed after treating his injuries. He then flexed his forearms and began modifying his omni-tools.

"But they don't appear to have any Alliance issue equipment." Isaac stated in confusion while examining the group of soldiers standing before him. Both their weapons and armors were of high quality but also from private manufacturers and in most cases, specialized to an absurd degree. Bishop and Zack simply laughed at his remark and bewilderment.

"We're Alliance but we're also not Alliance, Doc. We use whatever the hell we want and as long as we get the job done, nobody really cares." Zack candidly explained.

"Is that so?" Isaac responded in befuddlement before turning his attention back to the frontline fighters.

"The big one with the V on his chest is mine. He's obviously the boss and he tried to kill Lloyd. His ass is going down." Hawkins announced.

"Darryl, be careful. We've already seen how abnormal these creatures are. They took our shuttle out with their standard weapons and god only knows what they were doing to Lloyd and your brother-in-law when we got here."

"Gina, when have I ever been careful?" Hawkins joked before immediately disappearing in a blur after initiating a biotic charge.

"Damn that man." Torres whispered in frustration before opening fire on the opposition while her companions did the same. The fight had officially begun.

" **Annihilate this rabble and secure Graham! We've wasted enough time on this worthless pile of refuse!"**

The gargantuan leader of the arbiters was immediately hammered by Hawkins' charge following his furious command. However, he didn't flinch and his kinetic barrier remained intact.

"This little hunt of yours ends now! Isaac's going home to his family and you're going on a one way trip to hell!" Hawkins roared while extending his biotic whips.

" **I know you. You're a Shepard spouse. Human, superb genetics, above average physical abilities and biotic power. You've also battled the Terminus Hunter to a standstill in the past. Yes…you will do. Come Hawkins, show me your strength. Be the first to face Omen."**

"Gladly." Hawkins snarled while ignoring the pressure inside his head as the two men prepared to square off.

"Darryl, you stupid hothead!" Gina raged while observing the confrontation in the distance.

"Typical Brawler, hogging the best fights for himself." Quentin casually scoffed while laying down a storm of suppressive fire at the proletarian forces that were attempting to close in on Isaac and his companions.

Meanwhile Lex and Raquel focused on sniping the nuisances who'd taken to the air with their jets. The duo were moving and shooting in tandem while evading the energy bombardments that their targets were unleashing in retaliation.

"I'm at nine!" Lex shouted in triumph before reloading a thermal clip.

"Yeah and I'm at twelve! You're slacking!" Raquel teased.

"Snipers…I'll never understand the damn bragging, especially for numbers that pitiful." Quentin quietly scoffed after finally exhausting his Revenant.

He didn't bother trying to reload another thermal clip and instead opted to pull out a brutally modified Claymore that had been optimized for close range combat. He then fired a carnage blast at the next wave of hostiles who were attempting to advance on Isaac and the others before rushing into the center of the mob.

"Is he crazy?!" Isaac shouted.

"Yeah, crazy strong. Quentin can actually bench-press more weights than me and Darryl plus all his armor components are designed to amplify his physical blows. Those freaks' shells won't mean shit to his stabs and punches." Bishop thoughtfully explained.

His statement was proven true almost immediately when the human juggernaut impaled a proletarian with a kinetically reinforced omni-blade before lifting the creature's body over his head and tossing it at its cohorts. The spectacle left Isaac completely speechless.

"Zack, stay alert and stick to disruptor rounds! We've got more incoming and a few are headed your way!" Gina shouted from across the battlefield as more arbiter forces began descending from the elevators to the docking bays.

"Fuck this. I'm too pretty for close quarters combat." Zack responded in a blasé manner before pulling out a Hydra missile launcher and firing on the enemy reinforcements.

His targets quickly scattered in all directions, taking cover behind the various piles of wreckage and broken down shuttles that were strewn across the area. They all began priming their gauntlets for homing blasts but quickly began falling to more sniper fire from one of the sharpshooters of the group. Raquel's visor was top of the line and allowed her to see through her targets' cover positions while her Javelin easily tore through the obstructions to meet its marks. The unfortunate stragglers who managed to escape her assassinations quickly fell victim to the well aimed and explosive rounds from Lex's Krysae as they took flight.

"Fifteen!" Lex shouted after downing another proletarian.

"Twenty-one! Are you even trying?!" Raquel playfully responded after executing her own prey who'd been hiding behind a pile of debris near Isaac and the others.

"They could probably do this all day but we can't afford to stick around here. Zack, you've got to get another shuttle out here. This place is rigged to blow and we're running out of time." Bishop warned.

"Yeah, we heard the details from the Doc before your sleepy ass woke up. We managed to send a message to the Shiloh before these ugly SOBs started jamming our communications. Let's hope they got it."

"You always do this, every single time. Just hold on damn it. Wait for me." Gina quietly pleaded while fighting her way towards Hawkins' confrontation with Omen.

The area was surrounded by smoke but she could still hear the faint sounds of battle emanating from it. While advancing, she slid beneath a particularly aggressive proletarian while opening fire with her Phaeston. She was immensely grateful for the fact that she'd recently modified her weapon with both a barrel extension and a boosted capacitor, both of which were allowing her disruptor rounds to deal extra damage to more than just the enemy's potent kinetic barriers.

As her adversary fell, she quickly leapt to her feet and used him as a human shield while returning fire against the ever expanding number of hostiles who were appearing in the warzone. After the dead proletarian had absorbed enough punishment to be any further use, she attached a proximity mine to his corpse and shoved him at a trio of his former allies before continuing her dash towards Hawkins' location. The closer she got, the more resistance she encountered as airborne soldiers opened fire forcing her to take cover behind one of the many shuttles that had suffered catastrophic damage during the recent skirmishes. As she placed her back against the surface of the aircraft, she suddenly noticed the image of a red shark emblazoned on the surface, the trademark logo of the Tiburon Rojos. She took a moment to spit on the insignia before muttering a few curses under breath.

Afterwards, she took aim from her cover position and lined up several headshots that removed the most dangerous of her aerial threats. As the newly killed proletarians spiraled towards the ground she resumed her run and quickly encountered another pair of enemies at fairly close range. After sidestepping one, she promptly shoved the creature's right arm as he was preparing to fire his gauntlet causing the premature demise of his ally who'd been in the line of fire. She then stabbed the surprised assailant with an omni-blade and emptied her Phaeston into his face. The mutilated remains of his partially revealed face and skull didn't seem to faze her, she'd already seen worse in the past. The sounds of fighting were growing louder the closer she got to her captain's location which only motivated her further.

"I'm almost there. You hear me? Don't do anything stupid before I get there." she quietly pleaded.

It was a vain hope and she knew it. Darryl Hawkins wasn't the type to do things halfway. He was a man who put everything he had into whatever challenge he happened to be facing. Whether it was a fight, an investigation or educating a little boy he picked up from the gutter, the Biotic Brawler always gave it his all. That fact coupled with the danger of the situation they were all currently facing and the terrible chill that wouldn't leave her body had her worried. They'd all been in similar battles before and more times than they could count. Outnumbered, sometimes outgunned and always without backup. But they always managed to pull through because he'd been there. Their captain. A rabid dog to some, a menace to plenty, an embarrassment to his oldest son and to a chosen few, an inspiration.

"Darryl, don't you die on me!" she screamed while running towards the smoke where the sounds of gunfire were still resonating.

Her path was immediately barred by a larger alien threat than the ones she and her squadmates had encountered so far. The orange circle on his chest and the pain inside her head that had suddenly erupted was evidence of that.

" **Don't interfere."**

"Don't get in my way."

She was only a few precious meters from the destination that she desperately wanted to reach more than anything at the moment and she wasn't planning on letting anyone or anything stop her.

* * *

" **Is that all? I expected more. Perhaps the Terminus Hunter is weaker than I expected if he allowed the likes of you to challenge him."**

Hawkins wanted to make a clever retort but he was beyond exhausted. The monster standing before him had taken everything he could throw at him and worst yet, absorbed it. Shockwaves, novas, barrier detonations, the bastard had simply drained them all using his gauntlets. And then there was his strength. Hawkins counted himself lucky that he was no slouch in hand-to-hand. One wrong move and he'd be dead, he was certain of it. Even with his armor and a biotic barrier at full capacity, one concentrated hit from the colossus standing before him is all it would take to end his life. Somehow he'd managed to avoid the creature's attempts at subduing him so far but the longer the fight dragged out, the worse his chances of victory became. Still, he had no intention of running, not until his opponent was dead and the threat that he posed was eliminated.

With that thought in mind, he quickly plowed into his enemy with another biotic charge which Omen effortlessly blocked, with one hand no less. He then countered with a cone-shaped energy blast from his right hand gauntlet while continuing to guard with his left. Hawkins evaded the lethal maneuver by the narrowest of margins but still lost a significant portion of his barrier in the process. After dodging the blast, he promptly retaliated by pulling out his own Claymore and firing a shot at point blank range, completely destroying Omen's helmet but unfortunately, causing minimal damage. Hawkins didn't flinch when he saw the hideous visage staring back at him. He'd fought and killed worst monsters in the past. Whether it was his lack of fear or the fact that he'd actually hurt him, Omen was actually impressed.

" **You're surprisingly capable for a human. This has been enlightening. Farewell, Darryl Hawkins."**

What followed next was a disturbingly potent clash of destructive forces as Omen unleashed all of the stored energy from his adversary's previous attacks into one massive blast while Hawkins countered by extending his whips and driving them into the ground, triggering a tremor. The result was a collision of energies that shook the entire area where their confrontation was unfolding. Surprised and knocked off balance by Hawkins' maneuver, Omen wasn't able to respond fast enough once his enemy began striking him with a series of lashes from his whips that actually brought the giant to his knees where Hawkins immediately continued his assault by relentlessly punching him in his now battered, blood stained face. Eager to end things quickly, he pulled out his Phaeston and opened fire but Omen simply avoided the shots by tilting his head at a speed that defied logic.

He then created a blue energy shield that encased his entire left arm and used it to block Hawkins' follow-up shots while returning to his feet and rushing towards him. Realizing his gunfire was useless, he put his rifle away and once again utilized his whips. But this time Omen was prepared and quickly disrupted and destroyed the hazards as they made contact with his gauntlets. Before Hawkins could recover, he once again targeted him with his cone-shaped energy blasts only this time he used both of his gauntlets at a range that ensured his target wouldn't be able to dodge…

* * *

"You should've moved when you had the chance." Gina coldly stated after wounding the Controller who'd initially barred her progress with a throwing knife to the face. She'd only just destroyed the creature's helmet with a concussive shot and was now venting her frustrations with his interference in her quest to join her captain. As she prepared to execute her aggressor, an enormous pain inside her head began to develop as the Controller slowly approached her. "So this is what you bastards do." she angrily surmised while falling to her knees.

Before it could get closer, the Controller's head was promptly torn off by a well aimed shot from a Javelin. "Gina! We're regrouping around Zack, Lloyd and the professor! That fucking giant with the V on his chest is closing in on them with more of those monsters that are stamped with circles!" Raquel informed her commander from her most recent perch atop a rusted out Grizzly that was practically an antique.

"No…he was fighting Darryl." Gina whispered in a panic before bolting towards their former battleground.

After rushing through the cloud of smoke that still hung thick in the air where Hawkins and Omen had waged their battle only minutes earlier, she saw something that scared her. Blood, red blood and a lot of it. It was staining everything in sight, the floor, the walls, debris, if it hadn't been a battlefield, it could've been considered a crime scene. In a panic she started searching for Hawkins while screaming his name to no avail, he was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it Darryl, where did you-Unless you're really that stubborn, goddamn you!" she furiously shouted before turning around and making a mad dash towards the others.

"Shit, these circle jerk-offs are a lot tougher than their lackeys." Zack seriously stated after firing a fully charged shot from a new model Arc Pistol.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Bishop asked with a hint of jealousy.

"One of my quarian girlfriends. She's got some useful connections." Zack casually explained.

"So that's what the new model looks like. Fascinating." Isaac quietly mused.

"Now's not the time professor." Bishop advised before unleashing a power surge that decimated the kinetic barriers of two approaching Controllers. "Zack, don't let those bastards get too close otherwise you risk having your brain get scrambled."

"Got you, Blade." he casually acknowledged before taking both menaces down with a pair of charged shots from his pistol. He then grabbed his Hydra and took aim at the air above them. "Lloyd, take the Doc and start moving. Don't argue with me either. You're still banged up and you've got nothing protecting you or those tattoos. So go." he ordered before opening fire.

Before Bishop could voice any words of defiance, Omen closed in from above after shrugging off the missile barrage with a kinetic barrier and his energy shield.

"Damn it! We're too far away!" Raquel cursed while struggling to make her way to the scene with Lex and Gina.

"Can't be helped, you saw what one of those things did to Gina. We can't get too close and there's a whole lot of them between us and the guys." Lex lamented while taking aim with his Krysae.

"We have to get over there and fast!" Gina shouted in a panic.

" **This game has gone on long enough Graham and I've grown tired of it. Submit to us now while I still have a shred of patience left."**

Omen's voice was practically tearing through Bishop, Zack and Isaac's skulls. All three men had fallen to the ground in agony while blood rushed from their noses. As they writhed in agony, Omen began making his way towards Isaac but was once again thwarted when a biotic charge hammered him sideways. After regaining his balance, he was momentarily stunned by the appearance of Hawkins. The soldier standing before him was severely wounded and his armor was barely holding together. He was also trailing blood with every movement.

"Get away from my family." he slowly demanded between breaths.

" **How-"**

Omen wasn't able to ponder beyond one word before a barrage of gunfire from a Revenant suddenly assaulted him as another powerhouse joined the fray.

"I reloaded." Quentin calmly explained while maintaining his fire.

After exhausting his thermal clip and tearing Omen's kinetic barrier apart in the process, he switched to his Claymore and rushed the giant while aiming for his head. Omen once again evaded a fatal shot with an almost supernatural speed, but was still wounded by the spread of the shotgun. Undeterred, Quentin closed in while extending an omni-bayonet from his Claymore. Omen simply parried the thrust with his energy shield before countering with a devastating backhanded punch that shattered his opponent's helmet and sent him to the ground. He quickly took aim at the downed soldier with his right hand gauntlet but was promptly knocked off balance yet again by a timely blast from another Claymore. This time, the damage was more substantial as blue blood began to trickle from his wounded chest. His armor quickly sealed the injury but he was still quite livid.

"As long as you bleed, I'll find a way to take you down. I don't know how many times I'm gonna have to say this. Isaac is my family. So are the soldiers backing me up and that kid with the ink, he's my protégé and a lot more. You understand me, big man?" Hawkins defiantly stated while staring back at Omen.

Before Omen could offer a response, he noticed that his energy shield was fading and that his left hand gauntlet was starting to malfunction.

"Darryl, I understand. I understand perfectly and I feel the same way." Isaac weakly offered from the ground while furiously working his omni-tool.

The moment his energy shield disappeared a kinetically reinforced omni-blade promptly stabbed Omen's left arm as Quentin lunged at him with renewed vigor after getting back on his feet. "Enough with the mushy shit. Let's finish this." he added before punching Omen in the face and sending him staggering towards Hawkins who followed suit and added his own swing to the onslaught. The two men began pummeling him back and forth while Isaac returned to his feet.

"I don't know who you are but I'll die before I ever help you." he said resolutely while facing the behemoth.

" **The arrogance! The absolute arrogance!"**

Omen's anger manifested into a seizure inducing mental assault against everyone present. All of his opponents were once again sprawled across the ground where he immediately directed energy blasts at everyone. The power behind them was only a fraction of their normal potency thanks to Isaac's earlier sabotage but they were still effective enough to inflict considerable damage. After kicking past the motionless interlopers who'd gotten in his way far too many times, Omen finally got his hands on Isaac and pulled him into the air by grabbing the top of his head.

" **I've held back for the purpose of obtaining you alive. But I think you've overestimated your value as a living asset. All we really need is your brain."**

Those were the last words Isaac would ever hear. A split second later, Omen extended a blade from his right hand gauntlet and delivered on his ominously worded threat. The moment Isaac's body hit the ground, a roar of rage and pain from a man who loved him as much as any brother possibly could shook the area.

" **Sentiment is a weakness, Hawkins. I expect better from-"**

The biotic punch that nearly destroyed Omen's armor as it made contact with his midsection came from a man who was utterly consumed by rage at the moment. He had lost an ungodly amount of blood. He was being plagued by fatigue, broken bones and all manner of other injuries, but at the moment he was ignoring everything for the sake of killing the monster who'd just robbed his family of someone who was irreplaceable.

"Professor…" Bishop coughed while crawling on the ground and crying.

Hawkins' surprise attack had caused Omen to drop what he'd stolen and Bishop was determined to get it back. To return Isaac home and whole, even if the gesture would ring hollow.

" **I'm tired of this Hawkins. If you wish to suffer, so be it."**

After catching one of Hawkins' frenzied punches, Omen promptly broke his arm and tossed him face first into the ground. What he did next would only add to a growing list of atrocities that would never be forgotten. He sank his blade into his opponent's back and impaled him.

"DARRYL!"

The screams came from everywhere but the loudest belonged the Shiloh's XO who'd was already rushing to the scene with the others. "No, No, No! D-Don't you do this to us, to me! Darryl!"

Gina's frantic shrieks and the panic in the tones of everyone around her as they all ran, hobbled and crawled towards their captain didn't affect Omen in the slightest. What did affect him was the surprisingly powerful overload that caused an alarming level of damaged to his body. The young man who'd unleashed it was standing in the way of completing his mission, safeguarding a part of the kind scientist that he'd barely gotten to know but cared for nonetheless.

" **Boy, you have something that belongs to me."**

"I'm gonna kill you. It may not be today but I will kill you." Bishop quietly vowed. His face was already drenched in tears that wouldn't stop flowing. "But for now I'm gonna hurt you. And do everything in my power to pay you back for what you did." he added while trembling with rage and grief. One arm was ready with an omni-blade while the other was wrapped around something that had to be protected at all costs.


	30. Chapter 30 Fight or Flight

Chapter 30: Fight or Flight

The moment he was currently experiencing would easily be remembered as his most bitter. The continued screams of his surrogate family as they struggled to treat the injuries of a man who meant everything to him only added to his sorrow and rage. The monster he was staring down showed no sign of relenting and the thing he was after…Bishop had no intention of relinquishing it. He was prepared to fight to his last breath to fend off Omen, to keep Isaac away from him and to deal retribution. As his omni-blade surged with a spark of electricity, a colossal explosion suddenly shook the entire prison. The bomb had finally gone off. They were out of time.

"I guess we all lose you miserable piece of-"

" **Surrender the head, Boy."**

Bishop ignored the mounting pressure that was forming inside his skull and continued to face down Omen. The moment the creature took a step forward, he prepared to engage him but was immediately interrupted when a high caliber concussive round blasted Omen backwards by several meters as a newly arrived shuttle made its appearance. The passenger door was already open as a grizzled old man with a face full of scars, a tangled grey mane and a half-smoked cigar in his mouth surveyed the battlefield from inside with an outdated M-98 Widow at his side. As the shuttle prepared to come in for a landing near the others, the old man continued his assault by bombarding the remaining hostiles with fire from a Hydra missile launcher, clearing the way for the extraction of his people. After the shuttle landed, he quickly disembarked and took a look at his young crewmates.

"How bad is it?" he asked gruffly while staring down at Hawkins.

"Fuck if we know old man! Nobody here is a medic! The best we could do is apply medi-gel and pray!" Zack explained in desperation.

"Saul, we have to get him to the ship. He'd already lost so much blood and then he went and fought that monster for a second time…Damn it!" Gina cursed.

The old man didn't offer a response and simply made his way over and lifted Hawkins to his feet and shouldered a portion of his weight. "Quentin, help me out here. Lex, grab that other poor bastard's body. Lloyd's already got what he's missing. The rest of you get your asses in the shuttle. We don't have much time." he ordered. "Lloyd, hurry up and get over here. You'll get another shot at him. Just not today."

Bishop reluctantly complied with the old man's summons but not before glaring across the dilapidated docking bay at the creature he had every intention of facing again in the future. Afterwards, he ran towards the shuttle while further explosions rocked the area as the docking bay started to come apart. Once everyone was aboard, Saul fired another volley of missiles to cover the shuttle's escape before closing the door. The vessel then sped from the escalating destruction and into the temporary safety of space while the furious arbiter leader watched.

" **This isn't over."**

"Hurry up and do something!" Raquel demanded in a panic.

"I'm trying! I don't even know where to start!" Lex replied in desperation while continuing his clumsy attempts at treating his leader's injuries.

"Move." Saul ordered after approaching the group. They were all huddled around Hawkins and the longer they observed him, the grimmer their expressions became.

"He's still got a pulse but it's weak, barely there. His armor's computer can't even pick it up." Saul explained after placing a finger on Hawkins' neck. Afterwards, he proceeded to remove the tattered remains of his wounded captain's chest plate. "That thing really messed him up. Chest is fine for the most part, stabbed through the back, exit wound through the midsection…that's definitely gonna be a problem. More wounds around the stomach, damn. You idiots did everything you could based on the look of things. It's up to Tony now. We've gotta get him to the med-bay, ASAP."

No sooner had he made the announcement when the entire shuttle started to shake.

"Corey, everything alright?" the old man asked the pilot.

"Considering we just cleared the blast radius of a prison exploding, I'd say yeah. We're approaching the Shiloh now. I've already sent word to the medical staff to be ready. I hope the Brawler can pull through this one…"

"He will, he has to." Gina fervently stated while staring down at Hawkins' face. She took a moment to run a finger down the side of his bloodstained cheek before placing it at his neck. After a few moments she grew pale and even more frantic than earlier. "No pulse." she whispered while tearing up.

Panic resumed among her subordinates who were desperate to do something.

"He can't go out like this." Quentin muttered in disbelief.

"He won't." Bishop resolutely stated while sending a surge of electricity into his right omni-tool. "You hear me Darryl?! I still need you!" he cried before placing his hand across Hawkins' chest.

* * *

"Gina, how's-"

"Status report, NOW!"

"Okay…" her flight lieutenant sheepishly responded as she entered the bridge.

The entire bridge staff along with the rest of the ship was eager to hear news about their captain. His return to the Shiloh had been marked with a frenzy of activity from the medical staff and there were already rumors circulating about his condition.

"All systems are go. We can leave whenever you're ready."

"Good, set a course for Arcturus and fast." Gina ordered.

"Aye, Aye, Commander."

As her flight lieutenant and the rest of the bridge prepared to make the jump to FTL, the ship was suddenly rocked by several tremors.

"Ozzy, what's going on?"

"We got hostiles incoming! Three frigates, I think. I've never seen readings like this before and I don't know what these other things are but they're smaller and coming in fast!"

"I knew they wouldn't just give up." Gina raged. "Try to shake the smaller fighters and let the GARDIAN lasers do their work while we focus on the frigates."

Her pilot quickly complied and executed several evasive maneuvers as a horde of small, crab shaped devices closed in. Most were quickly destroyed by the ship's lasers but a few managed to survive and continue their pursuit. To make matters worse, the three enemy frigates were launching a series of powerful energy beams that quickly proved to be incredibly lethal after one successfully destroyed one of the Shiloh's CBT emitters.

"Damn! We're down to a standard shield array now and I don't think that's gonna cut it with these bastards." Ozzy lamented.

"It won't." Gina agreed. "Ozzy, I want you to take us in as close as you can to the enemy frigate that's within range of our thanix cannons. Once we we're near enough, bomb the damn thing with disruptor torpedoes and don't hold back. Unload as many as you can."

"Gina, that's practically suicide. Why don't we just use our thanix?"

"Because they don't know we have one and once they figure out we do, they'll decide to get more serious and we can't afford to waste any more time here. We have to get to Arcturus."

Her flight lieutenant quickly released a sigh before executing her commands. "Closing in now."

A moment later the Shiloh, zoomed towards the closest enemy ship while evading a flurry of energy beams in the process. The enemy frigate's allies halted their own bombardment once the Shiloh had gotten close enough for friendly fire to become an issue. After narrowly avoiding another potent energy beam that grazed its kinetic barrier, the Shiloh promptly bombarded its target with a slew of upgraded disruptor torpedoes before breaking off its advance and departing. The colossal explosion that followed marked the destruction of the first enemy vessel.

"Whew! That got my heart racing." Ozzy blurted out in relief.

"It's not over yet, we've still got two more-"

The ship was once again being rocked by several tremors of unknown origin. "This just isn't my day." Ozzy lamented. "One of those fighter-drone things has attached itself to our hull. This is just great! It's drilling its way inside, we've got a breach in the hangar!"

"Seal the hole and have a team sent down there to handle whatever tries to slip in and keep your attention focused on those last two enemy ships." Gina ordered. "And make sure the med-bay is secure!" she promptly added, startling everyone present with the harshness of her tone.

* * *

"Three wars. Three fucking wars. First the turians, then the Reapers, then the yahg and Equinox and robots, now it'll be against whatever the hell you are. It does this old man's heart good." Saul calmly stated before releasing laugh.

He was in the middle of fighting a mob of arbiter intruders who were unlike anything encountered thus far. They resembled the typical soldiers of their kind with large craniums, three fingers on each hand and carapace-like armor, but they also happened to be smaller and much more agile. Their attacks were also more frenzied and relied on close quarters melee strikes with their bizarre energy constructs. Several members of the ship's security team had already suffered some rather serious injuries during their attempts at expelling the creatures.

"You done reminiscing, old man? We've still got cleaning to do." Quentin scoffed after slaughtering one of his own targets with a blast from his Claymore.

"I guess I am. Let's hurry up and finish this. I'm gonna have to reorganize everything down here once we're done. And I finally had everything where I wanted it too." Saul quietly lamented before firing a barrage of incendiary rounds from an antique M-7 Lancer.

His salvo quickly cleared the hangar of hostiles, leaving only the vaguely crab shaped vessel that had had deposited them in the first place. The construct quickly retaliated by firing a concentrated beam of energy at the old man who proved to be surprisingly spry by evading the resulting carnage and diving behind a shuttle. He was none too pleased with the state of his hangar after the drone finished its sweep of destruction.

"Half the workbenches, gone. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this piece of scrap did that on purpose." Saul angrily muttered before grabbing a Cobra Missile Launcher from inside the shuttle he'd take refuge behind. "You ready?"

"Let's light it up." Quentin eagerly responded while taking aim at the creature with his own Cobra.

A split second later, their adversary was bombarded by two missiles that quickly destroyed it and added even more debris to the battered hangar.

"Well, I guess cleaning this place will give me something to do until Darryl heals up." Saul casually stated afterwards before pulling out a cigar and lighting it.

Quentin simply stared at the old man with a thoughtful expression before agreeing. "It's gonna be boring for while, I guess."

* * *

"The hangar's clear now, that's a relief." Ozzy announced back on the bridge.

"Alright Ozzy, we're gonna make another run but this time we're using our thanix cannons. Target the starboard ship while we make our approach."

"You're killing me here, Gina."

"Just do it! And hurry!"

Her flight lieutenant once again reluctantly obeyed her commands and took the Shiloh in what he believed to be a suicide run against the two remaining enemy ships. The moment they were in range, every vessel in the battlefield opened fire. The Shiloh was hit by an incoming energy beam that tore through its kinetic barrier and damaged its reinforced armor plating while one of the enemy frigates suffered significant damage from the Shiloh's thanix cannons.

"Keep closing Ozzy! Let's see how they like a knife fight!" Gina commanded.

Her pilot complied and as the Shiloh rushed past both enemy crafts at a dangerously close range, its GARDIAN lasers sliced through both, destroying one and crippling the other. After flying past and circling back, the bridge noticed that the remaining enemy ship had somehow vanished from their sensors.

"What the-It's gone."

"Good, let them run home and lick their wounds. We're leaving. Make the FTL jump, NOW. If you need me, I'll be in the med-bay." Gina announced before promptly leaving the bridge.

"Okay…" Ozzy nervously responded. "I guess it's pretty bad." he quietly added after she'd left.

* * *

" _Allison, Allison Shepard. And this little ball of energy is my daughter, Angelica."_

" _Darryl, I love you too."_

" _Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"_

" _Darryl, I did it! I rode all by myself without the training wheels!"_

" _It's a boy, our first boy. I kind of like the name Jayce. What do you think?"_

" _Dad, hurry up! The game starts in less than ten and we're already running late!"_

" _Thanks, Dad. I mean it. You're the absolute best."_

" _It doesn't mean anything to me, you're still Dad no matter what people say. You're no demon in my eyes."_

" _Darryl, I just got another commendation! I saw Jayce not long ago too…He'll get used to things. Don't worry."_

" _They don't just call you the Brawler. They call you a rabid dog and worse. Why?"_

" _To hell with him, Dad. You'll always have me and Kev."_

" _He loves you Darryl, he just needs time."_

" _You're the first person to ever beat me in hand-to-hand. I guess I'll join you. Gina Torres, reporting for duty."_

" _I think she likes you Brawler. What? I'm being serious!"_

" _You've got a good crew now, a damned good one and a great ship. This is a far cry from those hellish days when it was just you, me and Sweetness in that cramped shuttle. I told you Castlebrook was full of shit."_

" _I'll see you around Brawler. Don't worry, I won't be a stranger."_

" _Stop calling me kid. The name's Bishop, Lloyd Bishop."_

" _So we've got a baby in our crew now. That's cute."_

" _I never had a family either but I made do. I learned to survive on my own. That's how it's always been until now…"_

" _We should call him Thunder Blade. It suits him and his fighting style."_

" _Screw the haters! You're my hero, damn it!"_

" _I love her Darryl. Sorry if this puts you in a tight spot."_

" _SPECTRE? Me? Is that some kind of joke?"_

" _He reminds me of you but there are downsides to that. I'll do what I can but I am retired now and the other admirals and captains will have their say, especially Shepard."_

" _I'm worried about her, Darryl. Isaac means everything to Hannah."_

* * *

"DOC! He's going spastic again!"

Bishop's panicked shouts were instantly relieved when the ship's chief medical officer approached and administered a dose of sedatives to Hawkins whose sudden and violent seizures quickly subsided.

"Is he gonna be alright?"

"Lloyd, I'm not going to lie to you. Darryl is hanging on by a thread. He's got more injuries than I can count but the worst is that stab wound. His spine was nearly severed and he lost more blood than…I think we should all be grateful that he's the Brawler. I don't have any doubts that this sort of punishment would've killed anyone else."

"It probably would have." Bishop quietly agreed before taking his mentor's hand as he sat by his bedside.

The doctor gently placed a hand on Bishop's shoulder while staring down at his patient. "We'll have to get him to a proper medical facility and soon. Arcturus will definitely meet our needs. By the way, your impromptu defibrillation was a smart move. Smart but also reckless. Considering it actually worked, I won't bother lecturing you."

"I couldn't lose him, Doc. I just couldn't…I've already let somebody else down." Bishop sadly lamented while staring towards the end of the med-bay where a lifeless body and its severed appendage were resting beneath a sheet."

"I can't imagine how this will affect the Shepards. They're an illustrious family but still human like the rest of us."

It was a thought that terrified Bishop. How the hell was he going to face them? To face Cammie?

"I'll be in my office if you need me. And Lloyd, don't torture yourself. It isn't healthy."

After the doctor left, Bishop resumed his vigil over Hawkins. "You really fucked up this time Darryl! What the hell were you thinking?! You could've died! Hell, you DID die! Don't ever try to skip out on me! I need you. This crew needs you. Your wife needs you. So do Angelica, Kev, Keith, even that asshole Jayce. So don't pull anything else like this and make sure you keep fighting. Damn you, old man. You got me crying again." he sobbed while tightening his grip on Hawkins' hand.

He hadn't noticed the arrival of another guest or her quiet approach. In fact, he didn't realize she was there until she pulled him into a hug after taking a seat next to him. "What did Tony say about his condition?"

"The same as before. Even if he pulls through, his spine will still be…" Bishop couldn't continue before lapsing into another bout of sobbing while Gina held him.

"He won't let something like this stop him. I can promise you that." she assured him.

"How?! How can you say that and be so calm about it?! Gina, he might not walk again!" Bishop shouted in desperation.

"Did I ever tell you about how he and I first met?"

"What? No." Bishop replied in confusion.

"It was years and years ago. Back then, he was still working out of a shuttle with only two crew members. He had just started operating on his own as a SPECTRE but nobody wanted to follow him. All he had were two friends who decided to leave his brother-in-law's crew to join him. The Councilor was also being stingy about providing him with the resources he'd promised. Those were some pretty lousy days for all of us."

"Obviously it worked out. Just look around."

"It did, but none of it came easy. After hounding Castlebrook for months, he finally got the tightwad to provide him with a ship, the newest Normandy class frigate, fresh out of construction. There was just one catch. Darryl had to gather and recruit his own staff. Castlebrook was a shrewd old bastard. He knew nobody wanted to follow the Biotic Brawler. In his mind, he'd already won. Darryl would never get the ship and he could keep him locked on standby like a guard dog on a leash. But you and I both know this man doesn't give up so easily. Since all of the 'respectable' soldiers avoided him, he went looking for the other guys, people with skills but lousy service records and shady backgrounds. I happened to be the first stop on his recruitment campaign." Gina explained.

"So that means you were the worst? Seriously? I mean, I've seen Quentin knock guys out just for looking at him funny and Raquel once threatened to castrate an admiral."

"Small and petty transgressions compared to mine. Although, most of my disgrace stems from what I did before joining the Alliance."

"Which was?"

"I was a mercenary for the Tiburon Rojos."

The revelation completely stunned Bishop. The fact that the woman he saw as a surrogate mother, a woman who at that moment was still cradling his head in her arms, was a former soldier for one of the most ruthless and infamous private militaries in the galaxy-It was practically unfathomable.

"I'm just like you and Darryl, another gutter kid from some slum on Earth that nobody gives a damn about. The difference is, I didn't have anybody to come and rescue me. I had to get by on my own and do whatever I had to in order to get ahead. So I ran with a few gangs, dabbled in piracy, took on a few assassination jobs and eventually joined up with those loathsome sharks. The credits were good and I was pretty satisfied for awhile. I wasn't part of a prison division but the things I did were still horrible."

"Gina, I just can't believe you were actually one of them? _You_?"

"Yes, mijo. Me. But fate or karma or whatever you happen to believe in when it comes to bad shit catching up with you, well, mine finally caught up with me. I'd done pretty well for myself while I was there, I even had my own squad. One day my crew got handed a certain job. A simple bodyguard assignment for some corporate exec who was planning to poke around the Skyllian Verge for a Prothean relic. It sounded easy enough and of course our standing orders were to steal the relic as soon as the opportunity presented itself and kill the exec. The Skyllian Verge is a dangerous place after all. Batarian Raiders are always roaming the place, so nobody would look at his death or disappearance too closely. But I screwed up."

"Let me guess, you grew a conscience?"

"Not quite. I grew stupid. Our client was pretty charming, cute too and cunning. He saw through my bosses' scheme quickly enough and convinced me to double-cross them and come work for him. Take my advice, don't ever take pillow talk seriously."

"I can already see where this is going."

"It's a shame I couldn't. After we found the relic, I killed everyone in my division and my new 'friend' left me to rot in the Verge. He really was a bastard but a brilliant one. I wouldn't be surprised if he was running that damn company now. They were eager enough to support his lies when I showed up to take my share of the credit for finding that trinket. So there I was, alone and on the run from the Tiburon Rojos who were more than a little eager to make an example out of a 'pretty snake in the grass' when it suddenly hit me. Join the Alliance. My record was clean enough and I didn't have any 'official' criminal infractions. I'd be safe for awhile and the sharks wouldn't be able to get to me."

"And that's when you became a decent person." Bishop speculated.

"Nope, I was still selfish and it showed. There's a big difference between working for a greedy company full of immoral mercs and being a soldier for the Alliance. I wasn't on anybody's A-List for ship details or even colonial security. So, I ended up getting moved from one assignment to the next before finally taking a break on Luna where I met Darryl. It was his old stomping grounds after all. He extended an invitation to join his fledgling crew and I accepted out of sheer boredom. I didn't have any big expectations. I knew his reputation, _everyone_ knew his reputation. I just figured he'd be the closest thing I'd get to having something familiar from my past around. I couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, all this man did was prove me wrong at every turn. I watched him accomplish the impossible, the insane and the downright suicidal all for the sake of a few ungrateful assholes who ended up cursing him behind his back and a Council that will never really appreciate him. They all downplayed his successes and highlighted his failures while we all watched and followed. Along the way at some point, I don't know when, I did change. Because of him. He's a fighter Lloyd, that's what he's known for, why he's infamous. But he's also a survivor, a husband and a father. He won't leave his precious Allie without a fight and he won't forfeit his will to fight either. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good. Now get all your crying out of the way. When you meet with Cammie and the rest of her family, you'll have to be strong. Alright?"

Bishop didn't respond and simply bawled quietly into her chest and after awhile, she began shedding tears herself while staring at the broken man laying before them. Gina Torres wasn't the praying sort but at the moment, she was willing to give it a try.


	31. Chapter 31 Bearer of Bad News

Chapter 31: Bearer of Bad News

"Are you and Uncle David still fighting?"

"Define 'fighting' and I'll let you know."

Angelica immediately released a sigh while sitting with her cousin and squadmate at a table in the enormous mess hall of Arcturus Station. Cameron Shepard was one of her oldest cousins and a free spirited young woman who hadn't allowed her career in the military to change that fact. She also had a rebellious streak that more often than not caused her to clash with both her parents and grandparents. Under ordinary circumstances, an attitude like hers wouldn't go far in the Alliance. Fortunately her name, familial connections and superb technical scores along with her unparalleled combat skills allowed her to make it further than a typical troublemaker would. Her induction into one of the most elite divisions in the Alliance, a Valkyrie unit, only cemented her status as a worthwhile albeit exasperating asset.

"Have you tried talking things out?"

"What for? He and Mom have always had it out for Lloyd. They all do and you know it."

"Cammie, you can't exactly blame them. Especially after how Uncle David and Grandpa found out about you two."

"That wasn't my fault or Lloyd's. They barged into my apartment, unannounced. What were they expecting?"

"To surprise you for your birthday and not find you snoozing with a naked and tattooed guy on your couch." Angelica responded while stifling her laughter before failing entirely. "The fact that you weren't decent either! I'm sorry Cammie, but it's still hilarious!" she chuckled.

"Laugh all you want, you don't have to go through this crap." Cammie scoffed.

"Are you serious? Tell me you aren't serious. Have you forgotten who Vince is? Who we're related to? Dad's the only one who gave us his explicit blessing and it still wasn't enough for the others. I've got brothers and sisters who've shunned me and Grandpa isn't exactly thrilled with my decision either. At least Mom and Darryl are supportive but Jayce is a nightmare now that he's a soldier. He's so damn eager to polish his reputation, anyone or anything that could embarrass him might as well not exist."

"Sorry." Cammie apologized. "Why us?"

"Because we didn't bring home the right guys."

"And just who are the right guys?"

"Ones who aren't connected to the Terminus Hunter and Biotic Brawler for starters. Now I'm starting to feel bad for Leanne again." Angelica sadly remarked.

"Her and your younger brother…why'd they break things off?"

"Why do you think?" Angelica angrily responded. "Nate was serious about her, I could tell. That stupid playboy was actually in love and Leanne had fallen head over heels for him too. They would've made a cute couple. They did make a cute couple."

"Then why? We were the only ones who knew about them, right? They didn't even have time to go through the usual family opposition." Cammie insisted.

"I don't know all the details but apparently it was Leanne's idea for them to go their separate ways. She was afraid their relationship would end up causing more friction between our families. You have to remember everything that was going on at the time. Dad was having a dispute with the Council, there was a skirmish between some of his Fangs and those Alliance marines, Ray was being Ray, Jayce was giving Vince a hard time and Uncle Ethan was still on the warpath about the last guy she dated." Angelica explained.

"I still say they should've given it a shot. They had my support."

"Mine too but it's best not to dwell on it. They've both moved on or at least that's what they've tried to convince themselves."

"You have doubts?"

"I may not have seen or heard from Nate in over a year but I have been keeping tabs on him. He's running a club in Nos Astra and spends every night with a different girl on his arm and in his bed. He hosts at least a dozen parties a week and spends his days lounging around in his penthouse."

"I see Liara's info is flawless as usual." Cammie humorously responded. "And that does sound like him. So what's your point?"

"My point is, it's all a distraction. He's running away from the heartache, Cammie. Nate's never been the serious type and when it comes to the Hunters, he's considered the failure. The weakest, most shameless, irresponsible, disgraceful-The list just goes on and this is all coming from the Wolves and Fangs themselves. The outlaws outside of the organization have said even worse things about him. But I happen to know him a little better than most, despite the circumstances and I think it's all a façade. That younger brother of mine wears a mask for some reason and now he's using it to numb the pain, the same way Leanne is using her career to dull hers. Just how many deals do you think she's closed in the last few months? Everyone else thinks she's just being an ambitious career girl but I know better. I can tell how much she misses him." Angelica sadly explained.

"You think that's the real reason she made that trip to Illium? To see him?"

"I have my suspicions but if I call her out on it she'll just deny everything and sick Bobo on me." Angelica joked causing them both to laugh.

"Maybe we should meddle a little. At this rate, that womanizing idiot might actually settle down with someone else. He's too cute to ignore just like his brothers."

"I'm warning you Cammie, don't go there."

"Why not? I'm not related to them. I can drool all I want. Lou is practically the epitome of perfection. How can one man be that flawless? Was he chiseled from stone?"

"Cammie, you're starting to push me."

"Ray's kind of an ass but a good looking one and so wild. I'll give Jordy a few more years to mature but he's already-"

"Cammie!"

"And then Leon-Oh God, I forgot. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

"You'd better be!" Angelica fumed as the table shook from a flaring of her biotics. A moment later, she calmed herself. "I'm still not…I can't believe he's gone."

"Have you talked to anyone other than Vince? I know you Angelica and you have a bad habit of carrying these things alone. He may not have been my brother but I think he was pretty cool and he'll be missed by a lot more people than just Hunters." Cammie sympathetically offered while taking her cousin's hand.

"He was the one who visited me the most, Cammie. He didn't have any hang-ups about traveling to Alliance and Citadel Space. Lou called me more but Leon…he was actually here. He'd goof around with me and Vince, play pranks on Mom and Darryl, treat us all to dinner, he was the Hunter who was always warm other than Dad. Maybe that's why losing him hurts so much."

Cammie couldn't think of anything to say in order to ease her cousin's suffering, so she simply got to her feet and made her way to Angelica's side of the table where she took a seat next to her and offered an embrace.

"I thought stuff like this embarrassed you?" Angelica whispered.

"Shut up." Cammie sighed before tightening her hug.

The tender moment was soon interrupted by the arrival of another Shepard who was in a rush to meet them before a series of disturbing rumors with far more truth to them than he would've liked could reach their ears.

"Cammie! Angelica! We have to go, now!" David urgently announced after arriving at their table.

"Angelica, would you kindly inform the captain that I'm still not speaking to him?"

"Cammie don't be so-Uncle David, what's wrong?" Angelica anxiously inquired after seeing the troubled look on her uncle's face.

"A lot. Most of the family is already here and I want you two to come with me before the news reaches you through other channels. You shouldn't hear any of this secondhand. Come on." David solemnly responded before taking both girls by the hand and leading them off.

Less than an hour later, both of their worlds quickly came tumbling down after they arrived in the medical wing of Arcturus Station where practically the entire Shepard family was gathered in a waiting room. Chaotic scenes of anger and anguish were already taking center stage the moment they arrived. Their Aunt Hannah appeared to be catatonic while Miranda held her along with Cammie's mother and wept. Her children, their cousins, Simon and Katelyn were lost in their own sorrow in a pair of seats nearby while their other cousins and siblings attempted to comfort them. Angelica's mother, Allie, was frantically pacing outside of a door that led into the surgical ward while their grandparents struggled to calm her. And standing in the center of the madness was none other than Cammie's boyfriend and the unfortunate messenger who'd had to deliver inconceivably bad news to a family with whom his ties were already fairly strained.

"YOU WERE THERE! YOU WORTHLESS-"

The furious roar of Private Jayce Hawkins was easily the most deafening sound that could currently be heard as the angry young soldier clutched the front of Lloyd Bishop's shirt while glaring at him.

"I swear to god if my father doesn't pull through this…and on top of that you got Uncle Isaac killed too! GODDAMN YOU!"

"Let him go, Jayce! It wasn't his fault!"

Jayce's brother Kevin was already struggling to hold him back while Bishop stared back at his accuser. "You're right. I was there and this is my fault. All of it. I let them down. Darryl and the Professor. It's all my fault." he sadly confessed.

"I don't believe that. I know you, Lloyd. Don't try to handle me. Jayce may not have a problem placing all the blame on you but I damn sure do." Keith Hawkins defiantly stated while observing the confrontation himself.

"Oh here we go again. This fucking embarrassment to the uniform can do no wrong in your eyes, right? Even this! It's bad enough Dad screws his own career up being reckless and commanding trash-"

The punch that promptly floored Jayce was thrown by a man who was prepared to accept his verbal abuse at the moment, as long as it was directed him. But under no circumstances would he tolerate the badmouthing of the Shiloh's crew, _his_ family. Their altercation quickly escalated when Jayce returned to his feet and threw his own punch only to have it blocked while another jab made contact with his face.

"Feel free to dump on me, Jayce. That's fine. But don't you dare talk shit about the people who raised me." Bishop warned.

His assailant failed to take the hint and once again lunged at him only to get a fist to the stomach that brought him to his knees.

"And don't suddenly act like you give a damn about Darryl when you spend every waking moment pretending he's not your father whenever your soldier buddies are around. Just play up your Shepard roots for the prestige, isn't that right Jayce? You make me sick. Why the hell does Darryl have someone like you for a son?!" Bishop raged.

"I hate you." Jayce coughed.

"Yeah, well the feeling's mutual." Bishop quickly responded. "Now stay down. You may be the oldest but you're also the weakest. Kev and Keith are way better than you."

"I think you've made your point and done enough damage here." David loudly interjected.

"Don't blame him. Blame the idiot who's on his knees right now." Keith angrily countered before giving his older brother a look of disdain.

"Keith, don't make things worse." Kevin cautioned.

"Listen to your brother. This isn't the time for your usual attitude. We have enough to deal with here and we don't need you acting out again!"

"My bad Aunt Sophie, I'm real sorry for being my usual screw-up self. I hope I'm not embarrassing the precious Shepard family name while my father is busy fighting for his life!" Keith exploded.

"Apologize to your aunt right now!" David demanded.

"Make me!"

"Keith, so help me-"

"ENOUGH!"

The thunderous voice that shook the room belonged to none other than the family patriarch himself who had grown quite livid at the petty displays that were taking place around him. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?! Do you understand what's happening right now?! What _has_ happened?! Now's not the time for any of us to be fighting each other! Am I making myself clear?! Now sit down!" Shepard angrily commanded, instantly silencing the room, save for a few sobs. His children and grandchildren quickly obeyed while he resumed the heartbreaking task of calming his frantic older daughter. "Allie, he'll be fine. We all know Darryl."

"D-Don't. Okay Dad, just don't. I saw him when his crew arrived. God, what happened to them out there?!" Allie feverishly pondered while continuing her frantic pacing. "Isaac, dead…Darryl barely hanging on, what did those things do…what if I lose him…I can't, I can't, I can't…"

Her mother promptly stopped her and pulled her into an embrace and refused to let go despite her struggling. "These are the times that test us, Allie. I know you don't want to hear that right now but it's the truth. But we're going to get through this, all of us." Ashley assured her.

At a complete loss for what to do next, Bishop decided to leave but immediately bumped into Angelica and Cammie. "Cammie, Angelica, damn it." he quietly lamented.

"Lloyd, what's going on? What did Jayce mean? Don't tell me-"

"Angelica, I never wanted…I failed so bad on so many levels. I'm sorry." Bishop choked.

As he clenched his fists in frustration, a familiar pair of hands gently wrapped themselves around his and caused them to relax. "Lloyd, the truth. Just tell us the truth." Cammie quietly requested.

Bishop took a moment to swallow back the lump in his throat before leading the girls to an empty corner of the room. "It's like this…"

He spent the next hour explaining in great detail everything that had occurred on Sanction. It was the second time he'd had to recount the events and it was just as hard, if not worse. Once he finished, Angelica slowly got to her feet without a word and made her way over towards her still ailing mother while Cammie remained with him.

"Uncle Isaac's gone…" she whispered through tears. She then looked over at her cousin Katelyn who appeared to be lifeless, much like her mother. Her brother Simon, had his eyes shut while an arm rested across his forehead. He too, seemed to be dead to the world around him.

"Cammie, I know how much he meant to you. How he was one of your favorite uncles along with Darryl, I'm so sorry. I tried so hard but that monster-No. I won't make any excuses. I was weak. I was weak and pathetic and I cost you your-"

"Lloyd?"

"Yeah?"

"Hold me. Just hold me."

Bishop didn't need to be asked twice and immediately acquiesced to her request. Neither of them knew how long they were standing there but eventually a doctor appeared from the surgical ward and an even more deafening silence fell upon the room.

"How is he?" Allie instantly asked in desperation.

"Captain Shepard, your husband is stable for the time being and we're optimistic that he'll make a gradual recovery in spite of the injuries he's suffered. But the damage to his spine has resulted in a loss of mobility-"

"Just say it damn you, spit it out!" Allie exploded before quickly breaking down causing her mother to once again embrace her along with Angelica who was also in tears.

"Doctor, what's the verdict?" Shepard quietly asked.

"Admiral, your son-in-law has lost the use of his legs."

The shrieks of anguish that rang across the room instantly told everyone that something terrible had been revealed. All three Hawkins boys immediately rushed over but were instantly stopped by their grandfather. "Sit down. We aren't finished talking yet." They reluctantly obeyed but kept their eyes trained on the conversation. "Doctor, is there a way to repair the damage?" Shepard whispered after taking the doctor aside.

"There is Admiral but the procedure isn't without its risks. We've recently made several breakthroughs in cellular regeneration, not enough to regrow limbs or organs but I believe what we've learned so far could be used for the very practical application of restoring damaged tissue cells. Unfortunately in your son-in-law's case, we would also have to rely on cybernetic implants to replace the portions that we can't restore." the doctor explained.

"And if the procedure were successful, he'd get his full motor functions back? He'd be able to walk again?"

"Yes, but he'd have months of recovery and rehabilitation ahead of him. And as I said before, the operation would involve a certain degree of risk, especially with the captain's current physical condition and injuries."

"Can we wait until he's stronger and some of his other wounds have healed?"

"We could but the longer we wait, the less likely our chances of success. The damage to his spine is still fresh and as cruel as it may sound, that's good news for us and the possible success of the procedure. We can regenerate more nerve fibers now and the cybernetic prosthetics will bond much more quickly to a newly mended spinal column. If you're going to opt for this procedure, then I'd advise you to give your permission now."

Shepard had made a lot of decisions in his life, some more momentous than others and at least one had determined the fate of the entire galaxy. Despite that, the choice he was facing at that moment was easily among his most difficult.

"Doctor, could this operation kill him?" Shepard asked bluntly after several moments of consideration.

"Yes, but it could also save his career. Admiral, I happen to know the captain, not directly mind you, but through his service record. I'm fully aware of the somewhat unsavory reputation that he has among many of his fellow soldiers but I also know for a fact that he's a good man."

"You've gotten my attention Doctor. Would you care to elaborate? It's not often I hear praise for Darryl from anyone outside of his crew or protégé."

"Many years ago, Captain Hawkins was part of a mission on Feros working under the command of your oldest son. During that mission, he saved a little girl and an asari from Equinox's soldiers. That little girl grew up to become a doctor in the Alliance with the hopes of someday meeting him again and offering her thanks. Right now, she has a chance to do a great deal more and if you'll allow it, she'll commit everything she has to restoring your son-in-law and see to it that he makes a full recovery. If you'll allow her." the doctor fervently explained.

Shepard observed the woman for a few moments before finally offering his response. "Proceed with the procedure, Doctor."

"Yes, Admiral."

"And don't be shy about introducing yourself to Darryl once he wakes up. I'm sure he'll be glad to meet you again Rose." he quickly added, surprising her slightly.

"I…yes, I will. Thank you, Admiral." the doctor responded with a hint of embarrassment before departing.

"Darryl, you and I have a lot more in common than you think." Shepard quietly mused before rejoining his wife and daughter.

The road ahead would undoubtedly be hard and painful but he had a feeling there would be at least one bright spot to look forward to.


	32. Chapter 32 Planning and Waiting

Chapter 32: Planning and Waiting

"Thanks for everything Kimmy, I really appreciate it."

"Ethan, don't. There's no need to thank me. I'll always be here to help."

Upon hearing the gentle reassurance of a very old friend who happened to know him better than most in more ways than one, Ethan Shepard slowly eased back into the chair he was seated in before shutting his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck. The last few hours had been difficult, both for him and his brother Will. Their recent investigations had led to a dead-end and to make matters worse, they'd just received awful news from their family on Arcturus. Their younger sister was now a widow and their older could soon be joining her if something went wrong during his brother-in-law's operation. The fact that so much tragedy had befallen his loved ones all at once was frustrating and painful. Hannah didn't deserve to suffer such a terrible tragedy, Isaac certainly didn't deserve his fate and their children…the myriad of thoughts and decisions that were flooding his mind only added to his physical and emotional fatigue. He wanted to join the rest of his family on Arcturus as soon as possible and reunite with his own wife and daughter. Zoe was already on her way to the station but Leanne was still on Illium _alone_ and with everything that had just happened, he wasn't eager to have her stay there much longer. Fortunately, his father-in-law was already making his way to the planet to pick her up.

"Why the hell is this happening? Hannah…"

"Is there anything I can do? If there is, just tell me. I can't stand to see you suffer like this, Ethan."

"Your thoughts and feelings are enough Kimmy and I've already wasted enough of your time. I know how busy you are these days. You don't need my family's personal struggles weighing you down right now."

Kimberly Castlebrook continued to observe him from behind her desk with a look of concern. The human Councilor did indeed have other pressing matters to attend to but she was more than willing to delay them in order to comfort the man for whom she still cared quite deeply. Succeeding her uncle as the Councilor for humanity had taken a lot of hard work on her part and hadn't been without its challenges, but she had made the choice to pursue the position a long time ago for the sake of her own goals. Her appointment was initially met with a mixed response but in a relatively short time she'd proven just how capable she truly was as humanity made several significant gains in both economic and diplomatic matters during her tenure so far. Her success quickly silenced her detractors but more importantly, it solidified her status and allowed her to focus on the more complicated responsibilities of her office. One of which involved recommending and reviewing possible SPECTRE candidates and meeting with current SPECTRES as well. SPECTRES like the one who was sitting before her now, the one she'd fallen in love with so long ago…

"Ethan, I can't imagine what you or your family are going through right now and I know nothing I say will make the pain any easier to deal with but if you need to talk, I'm always here."

"Like I said before, I've imposed on you enough as it is Kimmy. Me and Will. Asking you to snoop around the Council Chambers and spy on your colleagues was already pushing it, the fact that we didn't get anywhere with the info you gave us just makes matters worse. I've taken advantage of your kindness long enough, Kang's too. Once I follow up on the lead you gave us about the salarians, I'll start searching for my own trails."

"That's fine but I won't stop keeping my ears open or sending you whatever I discover. I'm stubborn that way."

"Kimmy, you don't have to-"

"I know. But I want to. I want to help you Ethan, in any way that I can."

Ethan simply sighed in exasperation while staring back the woman with a fond look in his eyes. "I appreciate it, Kimmy." After a thoughtful minute of silence, he slowly got to his feet and prepared to leave her office. "I should get going, I need to pick Will and his family up before we all head to the Gettysburg."

Kimberly quickly walked around her desk and embraced him. "Send my regards to your family. I know this can't be easy for any of them, especially your sisters."

"I will and thanks again Kimmy." Ethan replied appreciatively while returning the hug.

A moment later, he left and the Councilor found herself alone. After waiting a few minutes to ensure that she wouldn't be greeted by any further guests, she quietly sealed her office using a sophisticated security grid that not only prevented unauthorized entry but also unwelcome eavesdropping and surveillance. She then made her way back to her desk and calmly took a seat before activating her computer console. She had barely accessed it before being greeted by a familiar and irritating face on the display.

"Are you happy?" she bitterly asked.

"Yes, quite. Now, I think it's time we initiated our backup plan to make up for the loss of Graham's research and begin preparations for dealing with the Hunters. Have you given Ethan Shepard your 'lead' on the salarians?"

"Yes, and he's planning to follow up on it as soon as he checks in on his family."

"Wonderful! You really can be useful when you want to be. So tell me, did you comfort him? Did you ease his sorrow by inviting him to your bed-"

"Not another word." Kimberly angrily interjected, instantly amusing her associate.

"Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly. The scowling really doesn't suit you. I thought I told you to smile more. How else do you plan on swaying the good captain from his wife and family?"

"I don't have time for this. There's going to be a meeting in less than an hour. Are we finished?"

"For now. I'll contact you once we have Leanne Shepard and are ready to begin the next phase. Do yourself a favor darling, get some sleep. The bags aren't very flattering."

The mystery man quickly disappeared following his playful insult, infuriating his colleague even further. "Damn him. They're still planning to use Ethan's daughter. There has to be a way to stop them without direct interference. There has to be…"

* * *

"Lloyd, hit me with a snack cake. I need something to chase this awful coffee with."

"Catch."

Bishop casually tossed a coconut confection to Zack who was sitting upright on top of a sleeping bag nearby along with a huge portion of the Shiloh's crew. The waiting room within the medical wing of Arcturus Station was officially packed thanks to the large contingent of Hawkins' crew who had opted to camp out while awaiting news of their captain. Most of the Shepards and several of their friends were also sitting in while anticipating news from the surgical ward. The two groups were occupying opposite ends of the room which was only adding to the somewhat awkward and nerve-wracking experience.

"I don't think Jaycie boy likes us." Zack quipped while glancing across the room at Jayce Hawkins before opening his snack cake.

"Fuck 'em." Bishop quickly responded causing his friends to laugh.

"I always preferred Keith. That kid is a riot. He reminds me of Cap." Lex pleasantly stated.

"I better." Keith casually responded after making his way over with Cammie and plopping himself down with the crew of Alliance renegades.

"There's our troublemaking little bastard. You still giving your grandfather headaches?" Saul chuckled after taking a swig from a carefully concealed flask.

"When I feel like it."

"Darryl mentioned you've been spending a lot of time with Gabe lately. How is that clown doing these days?" Raquel curiously inquired.

"Pretty good from what I saw. He still hasn't managed to keep anybody onboard for long though. He's been handling most of his recent jobs by himself." Keith explained.

"I'm not surprised. Nobody in their right mind would sign on to his company and stick it out for longer than a month, unless they were as crazy as us." Quentin surmised.

"I warned him before he left and he just laughed it all off. I think the idiot knew he'd end up working alone." Gina casually added.

"Why did he leave in the first place? He and Darryl are pretty tight, best friends from what I can tell. What happened?" Bishop pondered.

"Lots of things. Missions gone bad, a broken marriage, messy divorce, crappy custody arrangements and an ex-wife who hates him as much as she loves him." Gina explained.

"Oh, you mean Christy, right? Uncle Ethan used to tell us about her. She was part of his crew before she left to go with Uncle Darryl and that Gabe guy." Cammie chimed in.

"Yeah, that's her. Always knew that one wouldn't work out. Had to hand it to the girl, she managed to keep up with the worst of us without flinching. That was pretty impressive for a squeaky clean officer like her." Saul appreciatively stated.

"You know she's on her way to visit Darryl and so is Gabe. They both contacted me on the Shiloh." Gina playfully informed everyone.

"Well, this'll be good." Raquel stated in amusement.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe both of them coming was a bad idea? The Shepards are stressed enough with us being here." Lex admonished while staring at Gina.

"And exactly how was I supposed to stop them? They both used to run with this crew and that means they don't scare easily." Gina reminded him.

"Big Papa will be glad to see them once he wakes up. He still misses those two." Zack earnestly stated.

"That's assuming they're allowed to visit after his operation is finished. We haven't been granted the 'okay' yet either." Raquel irritably mused.

"Doesn't matter. We'll be visiting him regardless. They're more than welcome to try and keep us out but I think the admiral is smarter than that." Gina defiantly stated.

"We'll see." Quentin ominously added.

* * *

"They're definitely Darryl's crew." Shepard sighed while observing the gathering of rabble-rousers across the room.

"Yeah, they are. An assortment of violent, dangerous, volatile, borderline criminals with uniforms. And they all happen to care about my husband as much as I do. Remember that Dad." Allie reminded him while resting her head on his shoulder.

"You should kick them out Granddad. They've got no business being here." Jayce irritably suggested.

"You just get more and more charming by the day, don't you?" Kevin sarcastically quipped.

"They've got as much right as anyone, Jayce. And I'm sure your father will want to see them once he comes out of surgery." Shepard calmly stated before taking a moment to glance at his scattered clan of children and grandchildren. "This is going to be rough."

"How's Hannah?" Allie quietly asked.

"Bad, really bad. I'm starting to get worried and so is your mother. She and Miranda have been looking after her but I don't know Allie. Isaac was her world. Things are only going to get worse once word reaches Grissom. Jack, the faculty, Isaac's students…I'm not looking forward to having to face any of them." Shepard sadly explained.

"I'll try to ease things, Grandpa. I've still got friends there and so does Leanne. Damn. Who's going to tell Leanne?" Angelica pondered in anguish.

"Jacob agreed to break the news after he picks her up. I really hate having to leave the responsibility on him but I've got a lot to sort through right now." Shepard lamented.

"We all do, Dad. This has gone too far. It's not just Mal's problem anymore and it never was. I don't care what the other admirals have to say or the Council, this was never just a Terminus Systems dilemma and they'd damn sure better open their eyes." David resolutely stated.

"Whether they do or don't, I've already decided how we'll proceed. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to go behind their backs to get something done. At least Wrex is onboard." Shepard calmly alluded.

"You're starting to think like Darryl." Allie quietly joked.

"Sometimes he has a point. But don't tell him I said that." Shepard reluctantly responded causing a few grins to grace the faces of his children.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up hanging with my Dad's crew." Keith apologized after taking a seat with two of his cousins near a vending machine. "Simon, how are you holding up? What am I saying? How could you possibly be holding up?"

"I'm…I'm still…I don't know Keith. Meditation helps but I'm pretty far from being okay." Simon quietly explained.

"We can imagine. No, actually we can't. Damn it, we're just no good at this." Noah lamented.

"It's alright. I appreciate what you guys are trying to do, really. The truth is, I wanted to talk to you two alone before the rest of the family gets here and starts smothering me and Kay. Right now everyone's preoccupied waiting for news on Uncle Darryl's operation. I'm sorry for taking advantage of the situation like this, Keith. This is all my fault to begin with. I should've never called Uncle Darryl." Simon regretfully stated.

"Don't even start with that. Somebody was already after Uncle Isaac and my Dad getting involved probably screwed their plans up. This is nobody's fault other than those weird aliens that we aren't supposed to know about and their brainwashed flunkies." Keith assured him.

"About that…I overheard a few things when Lieutenant Bishop was talking to Cammie earlier. These aliens sound dangerous and cunning. That's never a good combination, especially in the hands of the malevolent. I don't know what they specifically wanted with my father but I'm certain it had something to do with procuring his research. Perhaps it's time I finished what he started." Simon resolutely stated.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked in confusion.

"I can't explain all the specifics right now but I could really use your help. I've already contacted a friend who might be able to assist me with the more technical details. Once he gets here, I'll need you two to bring him to me before Grandpa or the others can question him. His being here will probably cause a bit of a stir and I can't afford to have the family getting in my way. This has to remain a secret between us." Simon emphasized.

"You're starting to scare me Simon." Noah cautiously responded while carefully observing his cousin.

"Believe me, I'm scaring myself a lot more." Simon sadly joked before trembling slightly. "But I have to do this. Mom and Kay, they can't know. They'll try to stop me and so will Grandpa and the rest of the family. It has to be me who takes the risk. I know my father wouldn't approve, it goes against everything he taught me but…I've already made my decision. A war is coming and I plan to fight it."

His cousins stared back at him for a few minutes before finally agreeing to his request. "Damn it Simon, just promise me you won't join the Alliance in a year. I'm tired of losing family members to those stiffs. Cammie may be cool and Lloyd too but I'd prefer it if my favorite cousins and friends remained outside their clutches. "

"I'm with Keith. Whatever you're planning, just wait a few years for us to catch up and help you. Hopefully Leanne will be with us too." Noah earnestly added.

"Sorry, I can't make any promises. I'm not even sure I'll survive-"

"Hey! I thought you guys were restocking the snacks."

The abrupt arrival of Noah's older brother quickly cut their conversation short.

"We were in the middle of something, Benji." Noah angrily berated.

"Sorry but Dad wanted me to check on you three since you were taking so long."

"Uncle David strikes again." Keith scoffed. "Shouldn't he be hassling Cammie about Lloyd?"

"I think he'll ease off them right now, for a little while anyway. Lloyd did pull off some pretty amazing stunts despite what he says and he definitely earned Dad's respect." Benji explained.

"Let's hope he can get a little from Grandpa while he's at it."

"He might just do that, Noah." his brother cheerfully replied.

* * *

"Can I help you Admiral?"

Shepard took a moment to stare back at Bishop after cornering him at a coffee machine.

"I'm gonna be frank, Lieutenant. I don't like you. But chances are good that I'll learn to like you. The girls in this family have a habit of bringing the worst possible headaches to my doorstep. Actually the headaches are usually introduced by someone else and then-My point is, you rub me the wrong way. Just like the Terminus Hunter, the Biotic Brawler and the Nemean Enforcer who all came before you. God only knows who Leanne will bring home someday but right now, you're my newest aggravation. You're a reckless, headstrong, unruly, undisciplined punk and a damned good soldier."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Let me finish." Shepard continued. "I want to thank you. What you did for Darryl and Isaac, it was beyond the call of duty. You brought them home and that means more to this family than you can possibly imagine."

"Admiral, don't thank me. Please, don't thank me. Darryl nearly died and the Professor-Just, please don't thank me." Bishop pleaded.

"You may not believe this but I know how you feel. It's never easy losing someone in the field and losing a gentle soul like Isaac…It hurts me, Lieutenant. There were times when I was hard on him during his youth but he always brushed it aside and eventually, he got me to love him as much as my own sons. He was special. The way his students all admired him and the fact that he had such a profound effect on you despite how brief your meeting happened to be is all proof of that. It's okay to grieve for him, Lieutenant. It's okay to mourn the loss of a great man, a superb scientist and a fantastic teacher but it's not okay to carry the burden of his death on your shoulders. Isaac wouldn't want that, I'm certain of it. And Cammie wouldn't want that either. Grieve, Lieutenant. Grieve and get stronger. I can promise you that's what Darryl will be doing. If you're really his protégé, then you'll follow his example."

Bishop found himself slightly speechless but eventually managed to respond to Shepard's advice. "Getting stronger was always part of my plan. Losing people wasn't. But you're right. And I know Darryl. He'll definitely have a few choice words for me once he finds out how pathetic I've been acting. Thank you, Admiral."

Shepard simply nodded before turning to leave. "By the way, you are still a SPECTRE candidate. Your recommendation was never unanimously rejected. But you should know, you aren't the _only_ candidate."

After making his rather cryptic statement, Shepard simply walked off and rejoined several members of his family on the other side of the waiting room. After taking a seat, he placed an arm around Angelica and pulled her into an unexpected hug. The embrace lasted for several minutes until word finally arrived that Hawkins' surgery had been a success.

* * *

"Alright, he's waiting in the barracks next to ours. A few soldiers saw his arrival and they've probably sent word to Granddad. He may have clearance to be here but it's still rare for him to actually visit. Uncle Ethan is the only one he ever bothers to come and see." Keith whispered outside the doorway of his cousin's room.

He and Noah had succeeded in intercepting their guest before he could meet with any of the adults per Simon's request.

"Noah's keeping everyone who's still awake busy and I'm on my way to help. I don't know how much time we can buy you, so you'd better make this quick." he seriously added.

"I will and thanks Keith. I really, really appreciate this." Simon whispered back in appreciation.

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry up."

A moment later, Keith disappeared down the hallway leaving his cousin alone to his thoughts. After taking a deep breath, Simon turned around to observe his sleeping mother and sister. Hannah had insisted on having her children placed in a room with her and taken the first opportunity to wrap her arms around Katelyn the moment they all went to bed.

"Sorry Mom, Sorry Kay. I'm a man and there are some fights that men simply can't run from." Simon quietly lamented before leaving the room.

He then carefully made his way to the barracks that Keith had indicated earlier and quickly entered before shutting the door behind him. The guest that he'd been expecting was still standing near a bunk and didn't appear to be surprised by his arrival.

"I know you were a soldier during your cycle not a scientist but right now I could really use your assistance. I can't go to anyone else because they won't understand and they'll only try to stop me. I think you'll help though. After all, you are an avatar of vengeance."

His mystery guest calmly turned to face him and simply stared at him blankly with all four of his eyes. Undeterred, Simon continued his plea.

"I also think you have an idea of what's coming. You know war better than anyone and very soon, I'll need to know it too. I'm planning to…change myself but the procedure could kill me. If I survive, I'll have to learn how to fight. So I'm not just asking you for access to remnants of your people's technology, I'm also asking for your expertise and instruction once I've used it to accomplish my goal. Javik, please." Simon implored.

"Cease your begging, boy." Javik scolded. "Tell me more of your plan and then I will decide whether to aid you or not."

It wasn't a promise but it was a start and Simon was determined to convince the Prothean soldier standing before him to lend his support.


	33. Chapter 33 Illium Shuffle

Chapter 33: Illium Shuffle

"Ah, breathe that air Rabbit. We are officially home. Nathan Hunter and his loyal manservant have finally returned to their-"

"You do realize I could shoot you, right? There's not a whole lot holding me back." Rabbit casually interjected.

"I think somebody needs a drink. Let's head to the club and get you nice and settled."

"We literally just got here and you're already clowning around. What the hell was Lou thinking trusting you to handle this job? I'm glad I decided to come along. With nobody down here to keep you in check, you'll just end up goofing off somewhere with one of your whores." Ray angrily stated while glaring at his brother.

The trio had just arrived at Nos Astra's spaceport after having been deployed to the capital by their older brother and leader in order to gather intel on the Forgotten pirate band's movements and any possible arbiter involvement.

"Little Bro, I'm hurt. I'm really hurt. The fact that you think I wouldn't take my job seriously wounds me. I'm bleeding here. Rabbit, hold me." Nate humorously responded while feigning distress and falling on top of Rabbit who practically collapsed under his weight.

"Damn it, get off! You may be the smallest out of your brothers but you're still a superhuman titan compared to normal people!"

Rabbit's burden was quickly relieved when Ray grabbed his brother by the back of the collar and effortlessly yanked him back onto his feet. "So you're trying to cripple our spy too? He's the only one I actually trust to get any work done down here."

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood." Nate cheerfully responded. "Listen Ray, you can't just bulldoze your way through this city, especially if you're trying to learn a few things that are considered sensitive information. Subtlety is the key to getting what we want right now. Plenty of people come through my club and they all tend to get chatty after a few drinks. My girls should be able to point us to a few leads after we drop by. Trust me."

Ray remained unconvinced but navigating Nos Astra and utilizing tactful approaches to problem solving weren't his strong points so he decided to withhold his complaints for the time being. However, he had every intention of keeping an eye on his wayward older brother.

Sometime later the three men arrived at the city's bustling commercial district where Nate's infamous club, Subliminal, happened to be located. As they made their way past several other shops and businesses, Ray couldn't help but notice how friendly all of the local entrepreneurs were with his brother. The fact that Nate was on friendly terms with women and asari was hardly surprising but he was also being greeted by volus bankers and salarian software designers. The courteous displays of amiability were slightly puzzling to his younger brother who couldn't imagine how an aimless slacker managed to forge such useful connections. After finally making it to the club and strolling inside, the trio were instantly greeted by the vibrant atmosphere and fantastic spectacle of Nate's pride and joy. Lights dazzled everywhere and flickered with the tempo of high energy dance tracks that resonated across the establishment while dancers beguiled patrons with their lively and enticing routines. Despite being midday, the place was packed and served as a tribute to just how popular the venue was.

As Nate led the way through the crowded club interior, his employees quickly dropped everything to come and greet him. Young exuberant females of every species were lining up to give him hugs and kisses while Ray observed in complete and utter exasperation. A few also happened to welcome Rabbit who casually reciprocated while continuing the trio's trek towards a bar on the other side of the club.

"It's not even a matter of 'Why am I related to you?' at this point. It's more like 'How?' and why couldn't Dad use protection just once?" Ray angrily pondered as the group took seats at the bar.

"That's a pretty messed up thing to say Ray and a really disturbing image to put in my brain. Mom and Dad, no protection, making me-"

"Shut up!"

"You were the one who mentioned it."

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but can we please get to the matters at hand? I really don't want to spend all my free time refereeing your little spats." Rabbit interjected.

"That's fine by me. I think our first order of business should be checking in with Lynx." Nate agreed before calling an unnaturally attractive bartender over from the far end of the counter.

"Welcome home chief." she pleasantly greeted after making her approach.

"Wait, I know her! I know you! She was at the funeral and in one of Liv's classes back in the day. Nate, you've got treasures working here?!" Ray spluttered.

"Just Lynx. Everyone else thinks I'm trash, remember? Adriana and Lynx are the only ones who don't avoid me." Nate replied in a laid-back manner, confusing his brother.

"What about Victor?"

"He tries to stay in touch but I keep him away. He's one of Leo's sons after all and the leader of the Pride division in the Terminus Wolves. He doesn't need his reputation getting sullied by associating with the likes of me. Everyone has high hopes for him just like all of Leo and Libra's other kids, especially Rain. She's our future queen you know." Nate casually explained.

"Damn it, I just don't understand you. If you'd just get your act together…" Ray muttered while observing his brother with a trace of pity.

"I'm as together as I'll ever be. Isn't that right, Lynx?" Nate pleasantly responded before pulling his bartender into a playful embrace.

"Just forget it. There's no hope for you." Ray replied in agitation.

"So, should I prepare the VIP room for you and your guests?" Lynx curiously inquired.

"What? NO! We are not here to play! We've got a job to do!" Ray insisted.

"Nate, we can't work like this. _Ghost Fang_ can't work like this. Bruiser's gonna be cramping our style every step of the way." Rabbit whispered as Ray argued with Lynx who simply chuckled and summoned a few of her colleagues.

"Don't worry, Lynx is already on it." Nate assured him.

"Girls, we have a special guest today. Meet Ray, Nate's younger brother." Lynx pleasantly stated as a crowd of young women surrounded Ray.

"He's big!"

"Strong too, I'll bet."

"Let's dance."

The invitation which sounded more like a demand came from a large female krogan who was draped in veils covered in sequin.

"Nah, I'm good." Ray quickly responded.

"NOW."

The krogan didn't give Ray the chance to refuse her again and suddenly carried him off while her associates giggled and followed.

"Goddammit! Call them off, Nate!" Ray shouted indignantly.

"Have fun Little Bro! And try not to break him, Dirka!" Nate cheerfully responded before turning his attention back to his associates.

"So, did you get what I asked for?"

"More or less, but there were a few complications. I can bring you up to speed in the office." Lynx seriously responded before leading Nate and Rabbit to a door behind the bar.

Upon entering it, the trio found themselves inside an office that had been plastered with posters and pinups of all the club's dancers and performers. Lynx continued to lead the way to a small picture that was located on the back wall of the area. After placing her thumb on a rather sensitive area of the picture's model, a hidden doorway suddenly revealed itself and the trio proceeded to make their way inside. Once they'd traversed a short, dimly lit corridor, the group finally arrived at Nate's intelligence center-A medium sized room full of vid-screens that were broadcasting surveillance footage from various areas across Nos Astra.

"It's good to be back." Nate lazily announced before taking a seat in a cushy black easy chair that was resting in the center of the room.

"It has been awhile." Rabbit agreed before nonchalantly dropping into a couch nearby. "This place is still the best safe house on Illium. I love the décor." he quipped.

Nate took a moment to smile before turning his attention to Lynx. "Alright, what've we got? I want to wrap this up as soon as possible so Lou can focus on the Noveria and Parnack situations."

"I've had our agents scouring the city in search of Forgotten operatives ever since you contacted me. They picked up where Mal's people left off but hit a dead-end…or at least that was the case until recently. One of our informants got an anonymous tip about what the Forgotten are actually after or more specifically who-It's a woman and a Shepard no less. The tech prodigy, Miss Sublime-"

"Leanne? She's here? She's actually on this planet, in this city?"

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"All the Hunters know the Shepards. They used to meet up on occasion whenever Angelica had a birthday party or something. Isn't that right, Nate?" Rabbit casually explained while glancing at his friend who appeared to be lost in thought. "Nate?"

"What? Oh, yeah, right. Um, why are they after her?"

"We aren't sure. But there are an alarming number of phantoms in the city right now operating under cloaks and also blending into the local population itself by posing as everything from travel agents to strippers. There are also infiltrators escorting them and some other stealth operatives we've never seen before. Younger or at least they appear to be young. Considering how the Forgotten are all the products of Equinox's enhanced human projects, we can't really be sure how old they are. They've inserted themselves all across the district where Leanne Shepard's hotel is located. Unfortunately, it's well outside our territory. If we hadn't gotten the tipoff, we probably wouldn't have noticed them or discovered who they were after." Lynx explained while conducting a holo-presentation of her findings on one of the vid-screens.

"Why Leanne? Is it because she's a Shepard? It doesn't make any sense. Those bastards hold a much bigger grudge against my family. So why?" Nate furiously pondered. "I'm heading out."

"What? Where?" Rabbit asked in confusion.

"Just…out. I'll catch up with you later." Nate quickly announced before getting to his feet and leaving.

Once he was gone, his companions were left thoroughly perplexed. "I don't suppose you have any idea what that was about?"

"No, but I'm definitely gonna get to the bottom of it." Rabbit vowed.

* * *

"Just give me a chance. One date is all I'm asking for. A friend of mine scored some tickets to Ambrosia's show tonight, front row seats. You and me beautiful, what do you say?"

"The same thing I've been saying for the last five minutes and the same thing I'll keep saying regardless of how long you keep standing there spewing your lame pickup lines. No. Now go away. You're blocking my sun."

Leanne Shepard was in the middle of savoring a bit of downtime poolside near the luxury hotel where she was staying. She had enjoyed her time on Illium so far except for the endless stream of annoyingly persistent admirers who couldn't seem to take a hint. Turning down asari was one thing, rejecting overeager human males was another. She had expected the unwanted attention the moment she'd made her way to the leisure area in a bikini and noticed the small mob of young men who were already occupying the space around the pool. She was already making a mental note to never book a room in the same place that a professional sports team frequented.

"You know I'm the star player for the Edmonton Blood Dragons, right?"

"I've had enough." Leanne irritably responded before summoning her omni-tool. A moment later an oversized combat drone appeared beside her. "Bobo, get rid of this idiot and his stupid friends." she commanded.

The drone eagerly responded and promptly began zapping Leanne's pursuer with several small sparks of electricity before proceeding to chase him off towards his equally obnoxious friends who'd been observing his attempts at picking her up. Within minutes, the poolside had been cleared thanks to Bobo and Leanne resumed her sunbathing while lounging across a pool chair.

"Good boy, Bobo." she happily remarked once her drone returned. It responded by bouncing around her chair playfully before disappearing. "Kev had better not join that team of losers once he enters the league." she quietly mused while shutting her eyes.

After spending several minutes enjoying her newfound serenity, she once again found her relaxation time interrupted when a large shadow suddenly appeared above her.

"You morons just don't quit-"

What happened next surprised her. She found herself being kissed by a complete stranger. The sensation though shocking at first, quickly became familiar as a nostalgic presence made himself known by gently pulling her into his arms. Their reunion lasted for quite awhile before they eventually separated.

"Miss me?"

The immediate slap to the side of his face answered Nate's question quite adequately.

"Where the hell do you get off?" Leanne furiously demanded.

"Lots of places but usually my bedroom."

Another slap to the face indicated that Nate probably shouldn't have been pushing his luck.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Nathan Hunter. And I do mean a LOT."

"Everybody knows that. But I guess you'd know better than most."

"Don't. Don't even-Why are you here?"

"I live here. How about you?"

"That's not what I meant. What are you doing at my hotel?"

"What are _you_ doing on my planet?"

"You don't own Illium."

"Not yet."

"Nate!"

"Fine, fine. I was out for a little stroll, I decided to stop by a pool and I stumbled across you."

"I don't believe you."

"What else is new?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means. Actually, I'm the one who should be angry right now. I deserve to be outraged a lot more than you."

"You're really something, you know that? You disappear without a trace and then suddenly show up to-"

She was instantly interrupted by another passionate kiss that she quickly broke off before pushing her former flame away. "Stop it! You don't get to just suddenly appear and expect everything to go back to how it was!"

"How it was? I always wanted more, much more. That was the problem, wasn't it?"

"Not this again. We don't see each other in over two years and you want to pick up where we left off with the same fight. Typical. You haven't changed at all."

"I guess I haven't. Disappointed?"

Leanne simply released sigh before easing back into her chair. "What do you want, Nate?"

"I wanted to see you."

"You could've fooled me. Don't you have enough skanks to replace me now? I've heard about your club and all your little girlfriends. It sounds like you've been enjoying yourself since we broke up."

"Breaking up wasn't my idea to begin with."

"It may as well have been. You gave me an ultimatum, Nate. You expected me to jeopardize everything-"

"For us, yeah, I did. I thought _we_ were worth it."

"You would've really done it, wouldn't you? Revealed our relationship to everyone, consequences be damned despite all the turmoil that was happening. How do you think your family would've reacted and the Wolves?"

"Dad would've been okay with it. Mom not so much. Vince obviously would've given his support. Lou and Leon would've backed me too. Liv and Ray, probably not. I don't know about the twins and Jordy's always been my buddy. As for everyone else, I don't care. I've never cared, Leanne. All I wanted was for us to be together and not have to hide in the shadows."

"You really haven't changed at all, have you?" Without realizing it Leanne found herself sitting up and resting her head on Nate's chest. "It wasn't that simple. It's never been that simple."

"It's only as complicated as you make it." Nate calmly stated before taking a seat with her. After pulling her close, he eased back into the chair himself. "So, what else did Liara tell you about me? I know she's the unofficial source of information for your family when it comes to what's going on around here."

"She said you like to drop by at least once a week to flirt with her and that you recently left the planet for some reason."

"Actually, I like to pay her a visit at least twice a week." Nate joked causing Leanne to scowl at him. "As for leaving…I had to handle a few things and attend a couple of funerals."

The news completely stunned Leanne. "F-Funerals? Whose?"

"Leon and his fiancé. There was a pirate attack on Heshtok and…"

Nate spent the next few minutes explaining the awful circumstances of his brother's death but left out the more sensitive details, including those involving his family's retaliation. In his mind, Leanne didn't need to know about his current mission. Things would be better that way.

"Nate, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I know how much he meant to you, all of you."

"It's alright Leanne. We may not be perfect but the Hunters are a family and we come together when it counts. We're still healing but we'll get through it."

"Your father, there's no way he'd let something like this go unpunished."

"You're right, he wouldn't."

Nate's silence on the matter told her all she needed to know. "So, how much longer are you planning to amuse yourself in my neck of the galaxy?"

"Not as long as you'd probably like. Grandpa Jacob recently contacted me in a rush. He said he wanted to meet me at the spaceport and take me home himself. He seemed anxious and that's not like him. Anyway, I'll be leaving in a few days."

"Anxious, huh? I wonder…" Nate pondered aloud.

"Wonder what?"

"How much time I'll get to keep you to myself." he quickly responded before kissing her again.

This time she reciprocated before finally pulling away and placing her hands on his face. "I don't want to jump back into anything Nate. Not before we've talked first. If you're willing, we can have a chat over lunch tomorrow. There's a nice restaurant inside the hotel where we can meet up."

"I'd prefer to sleep over and discuss things over breakfast."

"Nate."

"Fine, I'll be there."

Leanne gave him a smile before sauntering off in a fairly seductive manner and Nate quickly found himself mesmerized. "She does that on purpose. Every damn time." he muttered.

"Must be rough."

"Yeah, but you learn to cope." Nate instinctively responded before realizing that he'd just responded to a voice that hadn't come from inside his head. "You really are the best, Rabbit. I didn't even sense you. How long have you been here?"

"Long enough." Rabbit casually responded after leaping from a batch of foliage that was lining the exterior of the pool area. "I guess you're a lot more like Mal than I thought. Sampling Shepard pie just like your old man. Sheesh, Nate."

"I don't need a lecture."

"Good, cause I wasn't planning to give you one." Rabbit insisted while observing the fading figure of Leanne Shepard in the distance as she disappeared inside of the hotel. "And I could definitely see the appeal. Damn, are they all that hot?"

"Shut up."

"Okay, I get it. This is you in serious mode. It's pretty rare, so give me a minute to adjust."

"While you're adjusting yourself, how about keeping an eye on the infiltrators patrolling the hotel lobby and the phantoms posing as maids with the staff." Nate suggested.

"There's also the dragoons and troopers pretending to be security who're all eyeing you right now. They're on alert, Nate. A Hunter's on the scene and they're gonna prepare accordingly even if he is the 'weakest' member of the family." Rabbit warned.

"Perfect, that means they'll have to make their move faster than they planned. Gear up buddy, we've got a tough night ahead of us."

* * *

"So what's the story with you two anyway?" Rabbit asked while standing guard with Nate on a rooftop that had a clear view of Leanne Shepard's hotel room.

"We used to play around as kids whenever our families would meet. As we got older, things got more serious and by the time we were teenagers, I'd completely fallen for her. I wanted us to run away together as soon as she left Grissom but…anyway, you heard the rest earlier. There were circumstances to consider and I was being 'impulsive' according to her. I didn't care. I would've challenged anyone, faced anything, to have her with me." Nate fervently explained.

"I don't know what to say." Rabbit replied honestly. "Oh damn, Bruiser doesn't know about you two, does he?"

"No, nobody knew about us other than Angelica and her cousin, Cammie. But I wouldn't have cared even if the entire galaxy knew."

"Maybe you should've cared a little. There would've been repercussions. I'm not saying they would've been right but-"

"Hunters and Shepards don't mix, is that it?" Nate quietly cut in. "Who made that rule?"

"It doesn't really matter. I'm pretty sure you plan on breaking it anyway." Rabbit joked. "Well Ghost Fang, I'll have your back. I don't know why but I will."

"Of course you will. You're my faithful manservant." Nate humorously responded causing Rabbit to give him the finger.

Nate quickly smiled before lowering the visor on his helmet. He was once again wearing his Ethereal Armor and donning his guise as the infamous assassin within the Terminus Wolves, Ghost Fang. After activating a voice modulator inside his helmet, he promptly pulled out his Spectrum Sniper Rifle and took aim. The situation was about to get messy.

* * *

Inside Leanne Shepard's hotel room all was well or at least it appeared that way. The young woman occupying it was currently taking a shower but unbeknownst to her, several invisible intruders were already awaiting her exit from the bathroom. As they drew closer to the door leading inside, an oversized combat drone suddenly appeared before them and quickly unleashed a potent electrical shock that disrupted the agile phantoms' cloaks, instantly revealing their presence and dropping them to the floor. After sliding her bathroom door open, Leanne quickly examined her unwelcome guests' corpses.

"Forgotten Pirates? What are they doing here? I guess my name finally caught up to me." she mused before hastily getting dressed. "There are probably more of them and I doubt they'll leave me in peace. I suppose I'll head to Liara's. And I really liked this hotel. I'll have to reschedule lunch with Nate too. Damn you all." she lamented.

After making her way to the door, she was suddenly blasted backwards by an explosion. A small squad of armed men disguised as hotel security personnel were already make their way inside.

"Now you're starting to make me angry and that's a line the Biotic Sorceress won't even dare to cross. Bobo, combat mode, NOW." she commanded.

Her drone responded by growing even larger and plowing through her assailants into the hallway outside the room where it began dismantling enemy reinforcements by firing rockets at the advancing mob.

"Sara, defense protocol alpha." she quickly added after summoning her omni-tool.

A small defense drone then appeared above her shoulder and quickly multiplied before zapping every fallen intruder that her combat drone had knocked over with a lethal bolt of electricity. Before she could take any further action, the windows of her room suddenly shattered as several more hostiles began making their way inside while descending from the rooftop using cables. Leanne quickly took cover behind her bed and used her omni-tool to create a kinetic barrier to protect herself before peering over to discover that the invaders had disappeared.

"Tactical Cloaks!" she furiously whispered.

As she pondered her next course of action, one of the invisible soldiers suddenly appeared and fell to the floor, dead. His head bore the telltale signs of a sniper shot. His cohorts quickly followed suit and within no time at all, her room was full of dead infiltrators. Not long after the last one fell, two new figures flew into her room after using a zip line to travel from a nearby rooftop. She almost mistook them for more enemies until she saw the wolf insignia on their armors.

"Terminus Wolves? Did Nate send you?"

"You could say that."

Rabbit couldn't help but laugh at his disguised partner's response. It was going to be an interesting night.


	34. Chapter 34 Nighttime Skirmish

Chapter 34: Nighttime Skirmish

"Let's go."

"Wha-"

Leanne found herself unable to argue as one of her mystery rescuers promptly hoisted her into his arms before turning to face the shattered windows inside her devastated hotel room.

"Rabbit, you know what to do."

"Yeah, I'm on it. Just hurry up and get clear."

Without any further hesitation, the stranger holding Leanne quickly dove through her shattered windows while still holding his oblivious ex.

"I'd really like to know how long he plans to keep this up." Rabbit quipped in amusement before setting up a C4 proximity explosive and immediately diving out the windows after his partner.

A roofless sky car was awaiting them halfway down the fall and took off the moment they landed inside. An explosion that sounded shortly afterwards indicated that the Forgotten had triggered the parting gift they'd left behind.

"Lynx, take us to the club." Ghost Fang ordered their driver.

"I'm on it chief but we've got company."

"You didn't really think it'd be that easy, did you?" Rabbit joked from the passenger side while readying his Will-O-Wisp.

"No but a man can dream, can't he?" Ghost Fang humorously responded while pulling out his Spectrum and taking aim.

Their vehicle was already being pursued by a small contingent of tailgaters who were also taking aim with their own weapons.

"What do they want with me?" Leanne whispered to herself while riding alongside Ghost Fang in the back seat.

"I don't know. Beauty tips maybe? Those phantoms have got nothing on you. You must be real trouble for your boyfriend."

"I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate knowing that one of his subordinates was making a move on me."

Rabbit once again found himself on the verge of tears while struggling to restrain his laughter as Lynx grew slightly wide-eyed at the revelation.

"I'll tell you about it later." he whispered. "There are gonna be a lot of pissed off and disappointed ladies in a few hours." he chuckled.

The banter was instantly cut short when a series of gunshots began bombarding the vehicle. Fortunately, it had been surrounded by a rather potent kinetic barrier and the enemy quickly took notice as evidenced by their switch to missile launchers.

"Can't have that." Ghost Fang muttered before quickly taking one of their pursuers out of commission with a headshot that killed the enemy driver and sent the sky car crashing to a street below.

He then amplified the already devastating shots of his rifle by modifying them with a warp effect before letting loose another volley of precision shots that immediately took down several more enemy vehicles after killing their drivers. Despite the losses, the Forgotten were far from giving up the chase as evidenced by a gunship suddenly joining the pursuit.

"I really hate these assholes." Rabbit sighed before arming a proximity mine and tossing it at one of their annoyingly persistent hostiles.

The explosive removed another threat from the equation but also drew the ire of the gunship which responded by opening fire on them and inflicting serious damage to the kinetic barrier that was protecting their sky car.

"Lynx, how are we doing?" Ghost Fang inquired while placing a hand on Leanne's head and pushing her down in order to safeguard her from further fire.

"Alright for now but another volley like that will kill our barrier."

"I can repair the damage that's already been done, just give me a minute." Leanne offered after summoning her omni-tool.

"Handy, isn't she?" Rabbit teased while glancing into the backseat at his friend.

"Shut up." Ghost Fang casually responded before diverting his attention back towards their growing number of pursuers. "Lynx, missiles incoming!"

His driver responded to the warning by swerving their vehicle towards a parking garage and accelerating inside, avoiding the missiles but failing to shake the hostiles who'd fired them.

"This is starting to annoy me. I think it's time we let a few of our shadows join the fun." Lynx calmly announced while speeding through the parking complex.

Within seconds of her remark, dozens of Shadow Fangs began decloaking within the area and ambushing the Forgotten with missiles of their own from the cover of parked vehicles and concrete pillars. After exiting the garage, the group was finally free of pursuers except for the gunship that promptly swooped in as they veered back into traffic.

"GF, do you think you can take that thing out?" Rabbit queried while eyeing the monstrosity that was once again tearing into their newly restored kinetic barrier with heavy artillery.

"Maybe, but not with a headshot to the pilot. The cockpit's reinforced, I can tell. It's also got shields that I won't be able breach." Ghost Fang explained.

"Leave the shields to me." Leanne quickly responded before once again getting to work on her omni-tool.

A split second later, the enemy gunship's shields began malfunctioning before eventually failing entirely leaving it exposed.

"Oh yeah, that's more like it. Let's see how you bastards like being bombarded." Ghost Fang ominously stated as his right hand started to glow.

He quickly followed up on his threat by unleashing a biotic salvo of homing energy blasts that blasted the gunship from every direction causing extensive damage but not enough to destroy it.

"Damn it, I really wish you could use those flare whatevers like Lou and Liv. Or the phase thingies like Lou and Jordy." Rabbit lamented after observing the assault.

"He did fine. I'll handle the rest." Leanne assured him.

She then surprised her companions by reshaping her omni-tool into the shape of a long bow and charged it before unleashing a barrage of armor piercing arrows that promptly tore what remained of the gunship apart, triggering an explosion.

"Well, that was helpful." Rabbit stated in a mild state of awe.

"Beautiful and talented. Maybe I'll keep you for myself instead of escorting you to your boyfriend."

"I can see why you work for Nate. The two of you are a lot alike…"

Before Leanne could ponder the similarities between her rescuer and ex any further, the entire sky car was suddenly rocked by an explosion after crossing a line of carefully placed proximity mines near a high-rise.

"Brace yourselves, we're going down and fast!" Lynx warned while struggling to steady the careening vehicle. Luckily for everyone present, she was able to crash land the sky car onto the roof of an apartment complex.

"Why is it always me? Let Bruiser or Bushido deal with this crap." Rabbit groaned while crawling from the wreckage.

"That reminds me, I wouldn't mind seeing Julian again. Is he still unspoken for?" Lynx casually responded while brushing herself off.

"For the love of-Not you too, Lynx!" Rabbit replied in exasperation. "Wait, actually he is still single. You should totally go for it! We can call him as soon as we get back to the club. Just make sure you wear something sexy that shows off those curves and maybe let your hair down." he quickly added. "Liv's still hotter though, damn." he irritably muttered.

"Rabbit, just stop." Ghost Fang advised while stifling a laugh after helping Leanne from the crash.

"Who's Julian?" Leanne asked in confusion.

"A guy with no equal outside of my big bro-Uh, I mean the big boss. Yup, he's one of the Beast of the Abyss' top guys. Basically, he's a really awesome warrior who also happens to be a Terminus Wolf." Ghost Fang quickly recovered.

"Right…Well, there are certainly a lot of you." Leanne mused while carefully observing Ghost Fang.

"The Wolves are a big organization." Ghost Fang stated plainly.

"That's not what I meant." Leanne sternly responded while continuing to eye him.

" _Smooth, real smooth Nate."_

The thought continued to echo in Rabbit's mind as he watched the pair before he eventually turned around to face an expanse of empty space that apparently harbored nothing more than a few broken chairs and the tattered remains of a small garden that had been torn up by a piece of loose debris. He then casually stretched his arms while yawning before suddenly tossing a flashbang grenade at the empty space. The explosive immediately exposed a small group of cloaked soldiers who were quickly sealed inside of a biotic storm before they could recover from the disorienting effects of the grenade. After tearing the assailants to shreds with his biotic maelstrom, Ghost Fang once again drew his Spectrum and went on alert.

"Rabbit, how many more?"

"Can't be sure. I can only see them when they're within a certain range and moving. I always knew Fox's training would be good for something. What about you? Can you get any visuals with your fancy ass helmet?" Rabbit's inquiry went ignored after his partner disappeared while utilizing his own tactical cloak. "I hate when he does that. Alright ladies, let's get moving."

"What about your friend?"

"Don't worry, he'll catch up to us later. For now, we should go. I'm pretty sure phantoms and infiltrators won't be our only headaches tonight."

After reassuring Leanne, Rabbit began leading the way towards a door that led into the apartment complex. Along the way the, several more invisible enemies were exposed and killed with surgical precision by a pair of electrified omni-blades and the cloaked Hunter they belonged to. Once they reached the door and proceeded inside, Rabbit quickly scurried ahead down a set of stairs after motioning to his companions to hold their positions.

"Are they always like this?"

"I'm afraid so. They're accustomed to working together and also independently. They both hold the distinction of being among the best of our stealth operatives. Try not to let it bother you." Lynx explained to a somewhat bewildered Leanne.

A few moments later, the sounds of explosions, gunfire and shouting could be heard in the hallways below before silence quickly took hold of the corridors once more. Rabbit returned not long afterwards with a laceration in his armor that appeared to have come dangerously close to wounding his right arm.

"Heads up Lynx. There are more phantoms and they aren't alone. They've got troopers with them, big ones. I cleared the floor below but it's a pretty safe bet that they've got this entire building covered. We've got to hurry. I don't suppose you can arrange any more backup?"

"I'm afraid not. I already deployed the reserve shadows to deal with our previous pursuers and the others are protecting the club. I could try reaching the Den but it's my understanding that everyone stationed there is in the middle of dealing with a few crises elsewhere involving the Tiburon Rojos." Lynx calmly explained.

"Those bastards are trying to start some shit now too? Mal's gonna flip when he finds out."

"I imagine he will but they'll be a lot more difficult to cull than the Blue Suns, Blood Pack and Eclipse due to their Citadel connections and ties to Earth. I'm afraid the war among mercenaries is far from over."

"What about ERCS? Are they making any moves?"

"No, at least not from what we can tell so far. They're maintaining their distance and focusing on their usual corporate contracts with our clients' competitors. They have increased their weapons and armor research endeavors but I doubt that could be attributed solely to our existence."

"Somehow, I doubt that. But I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Excuse me but cull? Are you saying you guys wiped out-"

"Enough talking, let's haul ass ladies." Rabbit quickly cut in before Leanne could complete her inquiry.

The trio departed soon afterwards and began traversing the seemingly abandoned apartment complex. Their trek was fairly uneventful thanks to Rabbit's initial purge and Ghost Fang's unseen help from the shadows but that all quickly changed the moment they arrived in the lobby where they met the heaviest resistance yet in the form of veteran dragoons, phantoms and troopers who weren't likely to go down easy. They were also being accompanied by a small, unfamiliar squad of soldiers who were armed with recon hoods and submachine guns.

"This is just great. No Lou, Bruiser or Julian and we're surrounded by giants and some of them can use biotics plus whips or is it whips made of biotics? Like it really matters. I hate my life." Rabbit sullenly remarked while scanning the opposition.

"I suppose everyone is a giant to you." Lynx responded dully before pulling out a Spark Surge heavy pistol. "Calm yourself, they haven't won yet."

Rabbit's concerns were further justified when one of the dragoons carefully aimed a shotgun to his left and fired a concussive round that revealed Ghost Fang and floored him. His helmet suffered significant damage during the assault and the visor was completely shattered, exposing his identity and shocking almost everyone present.

"Dad, his face!"

"I see it, Elise. Though I can't say I'm surprised. There's no such thing as a Hunter who's a failure."

The brief exchange between one of the dragoons and hooded soldiers only added to the confusion.

"Nate! I knew it!" Leanne furiously exclaimed after making her way over to help him.

"Well, so much for surprising you."

"Were you really? Were you ever planning to actually tell me?"

"I don't know. I guess it's pretty irrelevant now."

"No, it's not. This is serious Nate."

"I really hate to interrupt but we are kind of surrounded and I don't think our friends here are gonna just let us walk away." Rabbit casually interjected. "Now what I suggest is that we all sit down and have a civilized discussion like rational-Get clear!"

The moment Rabbit slid his C4 proximity explosive across the floor of the lobby at the enemy marked the beginning of another heated battle. One of the Forgotten was quick to send the bomb sailing into the air before it could detonate using their biotics, preventing substantial damage to their forces but the distraction allowed Rabbit and his companions to take cover behind the front desk of the lobby where Nate and Leanne resumed their bickering.

"I can't believe you. Is this why you disappeared?"

"Yeah, this and the fact that you broke my heart."

"Not this again. I told you-"

"Uh, hello?! Gunfight! Would you two mind sorting through this later!" Rabbit raged while exchanging fire with a pair of troopers.

"I agree. This is hardly the time or place despite how amusing it is." Lynx agreed while assisting Rabbit.

"Fine!" the couple responded in unison.

After pinning down the two troopers she'd aided Rabbit in engaging, Lynx immediately diverted her attention towards the dragoons and phantoms who were beginning to close in.

"Nate, you should take Leanne and leave. I'll create an opening but you'll have to be quick."

"I don't like that tone, Lynx. You know how I feel about last stands."

"You're not really in a position to argue with me. We're outnumbered, outgunned and outmuscled. You might be capable of taking on one, perhaps two dragoon veterans but certainly not this many, especially in close quarters while they're being assisted by troopers and phantoms. To make matters worse, one of them can see through your cloak. Nate, just go." Lynx insisted.

"She's right. I'll hang back and help her out." Rabbit agreed. "The one time we could use Bruiser and we leave him behind. Damn it." he quietly lamented.

Nate simply stared at the pair before finally offering a response. "If either of you dies on me, I'll blame Ray for being too stupid to tail us."

Both Rabbit and Lynx laughed before promptly covering his and Leanne's escape with a shockwave and several flashbang grenades that temporarily halted their enemies' advance. Nate took advantage of his friends' distraction and immediately dragged Leanne out the front door after rushing past the mayhem. Once they were outside, he quickly tried making contact with the Terminus Wolves' Den in Nos Astra.

"Come on, somebody pick up damn it!"

"Nate, we can't just leave them in there."

"Leanne, right now you're our priority. For some reason the Forgotten are after you and it doesn't look like they're holding back. I can't lose you again."

"You never lost me before."

The couple spent a moment gazing at each other before being interrupted by the small group of mystery soldiers in hoods who'd managed to follow them outside.

"This just gets stranger and stranger. The family failure turns out to be the greatest assassin in the entire organization and romantically involved with a Shepard. Didn't you learn anything from your father's experience? Or perhaps this is part of some grand scheme to strengthen your family's bloodline even further? It would make sense. Your older brother, Lucas, he's courting the lion's daughter and the adopted one is with your half Shepard sister. I can't help but wonder just how methodical the Terminus Hunter is when it comes to his legacy."

Nate centered his attention on the lead soldier who'd made the remark while contemplating the situation and admiring her info gathering skills. "Elise, right? I actually feel pretty stupid right now. But then again, who would seriously imagine this? The Forgotten having kids? It must've been pretty rough."

"Are you mocking us?"

"No, I'm being completely serious."

"Listen and listen well, Hunter. We didn't have your privileges. Our parents were scorned and vilified long before we were born. They were spat on and cast aside as a matter of convenience for those in power and ignored by the one man who could've saved them. A man could've given them a proper future with dignity. The way he did for the children he rescued, the outlaws who flocked to his domains and the vorcha. You happen to be one of his sons, so let me ask you something. Why weren't they good enough? Why weren't _we_ good enough?"

"It's not a matter of whether you were good enough or not. The simple fact of the matter is that my dad isn't a hero or a savior. He's a Terminus Overlord and a business mogul. He's also a renegade and a threat that needs to be carefully monitored according to the Council. And he does whatever the hell he wants like any true outlaw should, the only difference is that what he wants is to protect what he has. He's not out to save every kitten that gets stuck in a tree but if he happens to run across one, chances are good that he'll help. Dad is Dad and I'll be proud of him no matter what. If hating him makes you feel better about how hard your life has been, then go ahead. But there are plenty of other people who deserve your contempt a lot more."

The young soldier named Elise simply stared back at Nate with a thoughtful look. "Are your brothers like you?"

"No, we're all completely different. I'm an irresponsible clown, Ray's an angry jackass, Vince is a goody-goody, Jordy's an impatient brat and Lou's the overachiever. We're a screwed up bunch of lunatics and that's without mentioning my sisters. Anything else you want to know?"

His adversary started to grin without realizing it while her cohorts stifled a few laughs. "I think we could've actually become friends under different circumstances, Nathan Hunter. But we have our orders. Leanne Shepard has to come with us and I can't allow you to impede our mission any further."

"Then we have a problem because I'm not handing her over to you or anyone else."

"I expected a response like that but this is a dangerous situation for both of us. My family and I outnumber you and we could in theory just take Miss Shepard by force after subduing you. Unfortunately, you would probably succeed in killing a few of us and I'd prefer to avoid that. So I propose a challenge. You and I will face each other in a duel and the victor will get to have the girl. What do you say?"

"Do I look that stupid to you?" Nate asked incredulously. "You expect me to believe that you actually care about your people? What about those bastards we killed during the chase here and on the trip down?"

"Those weren't our people. We may fly the same banner but that doesn't make us a family. To be honest, you did us a favor. My father should be the one in charge right now, not that egomaniacal…Do you accept my challenge or not?"

Nate took a few moments to examine the young woman and her entourage while considering the proposal before finally offering his response. "Sure, why not? You seem decent enough for a pirate and assuming you keep your word, it'll save me a lot of trouble."

"Nate! You can't be serious!"

"Relax, I got this."

"No, you don't. I'm not a prize to be handed around. If this 'Elise' woman wants a fight with my life on the line, then I'll be the one to give it to her." Leanne adamantly stated.

"Leanne, just let me handle things. Okay?"

"This could be interesting too. I've always wanted to face a Shepard. Are you sure about this Miss Sublime?"

"Scared?"

"Hardly. I'm ready when you are."

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

In spite of his protests, Nate's demands were quickly disregarded as the two women prepared to face off. The night was about to get even more interesting.


	35. Chapter 35 Fractures in the Forgotten

Chapter 35: Fractures in the Forgotten

"The rules are simple. No firearms, tech or biotics. Do you find those terms agreeable?"

"They suit me just fine."

While Leanne and her opponent prepared to square off, Nate quickly withdrew to the background and prepared to disappear in preparation for an ambush. However, he was promptly stopped when the barrel of an unusual looking submachine gun met his face.

"My sister was pretty clear about the rules and your girlfriend already agreed to the challenge. No funny business, Ghost Fang." a stern, well built young man with piercing dark eyes cautioned while staring at Nate.

"Sister? Does that mean all of you guys are related?"

"No, but we're a family nonetheless."

Nate took a moment to observe the squad of youths who were now watching him like hawks and released a chuckle. "You'd definitely fit in with our head cases, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, Leanne and her opponent were already in the middle of their martial exchange and unleashing and countering a flurry of blows between each other.

"This is unexpected. I was under the impression you were a tech prodigy not a martial artist." Elise mused after landing on her feet in the aftermath of a shoulder toss. "I know one of your cousins is a professional fighter. Did he give you a few tips?"

"Are you trying to insult me?" Leanne calmly responded while maintaining her stance. "Military or not, everyone in my family knows how to fight."

"Interesting but not surprising given the name you all carry. So tell me, are you the best?" Elise curiously inquired.

"Taking notes on us? Good luck." Leanne scoffed before smirking. "Kev is the pro and a straight up puncher just like his brother Keith and our cousin Cammie. All three of them are damned good at using their fists and probably the best in our family. Kay's a gymnast who's good with kicks and flexible enough to take the advantage against anybody dumb enough to upset her. Angelica's a sorceress even when she isn't using her biotics and completely unpredictable. She could toss you on your ass in a heartbeat if you let your guard down and that's when she's not teleporting around like a ghost. The rest of us are normal by comparison but still better than most, especially Simon. But he's the gentle type and not prone to fighting just like his dad."

"Simon? Simon Graham? His father…you haven't heard yet, have you?" Elise quietly whispered in sympathy.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you over the heavy breathing. Don't tell me you're already getting tired." Leanne taunted.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm just getting warmed up."

As the two women prepared to resume their battle, a shuttle suddenly appeared above them and began depositing Forgotten reinforcements. It was a move that wasn't welcomed by the young soldiers who were already there.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Elise's brother pondered in agitation.

Nate quickly took note of how irritated his observers were before immediately cloaking while they were distracted.

"Malik, Delilah, what do you think you're doing?" Elise angrily demanded as a towering dragoon in a customized suit of blue armor approached the scene while accompanied by a phantom wearing a mask.

"Your job little girl. Blaine's getting impatient and we've got a deadline to meet." the dragoon replied brusquely.

"I warned him. I told him not to entrust this operation to the weaklings. Ernest and his faction of trash have proven time and again how inept they are. Not to mention cowardly. Too scared to join the rest of us in the assault on Heshtok, isn't that right?" the phantom called Delilah scathingly added while eyeing Elise.

"Don't you dare! My father was the only one with any sense and the fact that you all ended up running away with your tails between your legs is proof of that! How many people did you lose in that godforsaken operation?! How many of our ships got destroyed?!" Elise shouted back.

"As if you'd know. You weren't even there." Delilah replied coolly.

"Enough. You can provoke the brat all you want later. Right now we've got a Shepard to capture." Malik casually stated before turning his attention to Leanne.

"I was in the middle of apprehending her." Elise bitterly replied.

"You were playing around and we don't have time for it. Didn't you fools learn anything from your history lessons and the stories you've heard? Don't give a Shepard any openings." Malik scolded before promptly shooting Leanne with a concussive round from a heavy pistol.

The moment he did, two of his trooper subordinates quickly fell dead after being executed by a pair of omni-blades before the man himself was slashed across the face by a furious Nate who suddenly appeared and caught Leanne as she was falling.

"Or a Hunter for that matter." Malik calmly added while wiping the blood from his wounded cheek.

"You just went to the top of my shit list asshole." Nate angrily announced while holding Leanne.

"Which one is he again?" Delilah mused.

"The weakling…or maybe not." Malik pondered while examining Nate's armor.

"He's no weakling." another voice casually added as more Forgotten forces approached from the lobby of the apartment complex.

"Dad! Are you all okay?"

"We're fine. The little one and the woman put up an impressive fight. I'm sorry I had to drop a ceiling on them to hasten our departure."

"And here he is, your venerable leader. Delayed by a pair of nobodies while his children almost allowed our prey to escape. Pathetic." Delilah scoffed.

"What did you expect? Earnest was never worth a damn."

After making his rather derisive statement, Malik found himself being surrounded by Elise's brother and companions while his own people prepared to engage them.

"We've listened to you badmouth my father long enough."

"Elise, I'll deal with them. Malik has been itching to have me kill him for a long time now." her brother coldly announced while facing his intended opponent.

"Elise, Tobias, all of you, stop it. The local authorities will be here before long and we still need to deliver Miss Shepard to the rendezvous location and deal with her protector. I doubt the infamous Ghost Fang will simply stand aside while we run off with his girlfriend. In fact, he's already proven he won't in spectacular fashion. He and his associates have wiped out Flora's entire division and destroyed her favorite gunship." Earnest explained rather candidly.

"Ghost Fang?! This wastrel is their most famous assassin?! You must be joking!" Delilah scoffed before quickly diverting her attention back towards Nate's location.

To her immense shock and dismay, he was already gone and in his place was a timed explosive that was already ticking down.

"As I said before, there's no such thing as a Hunter who's a failure." Earnest calmly reiterated while admiring Nate's resourcefulness.

* * *

A block away, Nate found himself carrying a still unconscious Leanne through the streets of Nos Astra. He ignored the explosion that erupted behind him and continued to sprint further away from the scene before finally darting into an alley.

"You're too damned honest Leanne. You should've used a defense matrix as soon as the fight started. If you had, that concussive round wouldn't have knocked you out." he gently scolded while holding her. "Then again, that's just like you. Always putting me in a jam."

Afterwards he took a moment to softly brush her cheek before planting a kiss on it and resuming his trek. But before he could take another step forward, he found himself being yanked backwards by a biotic lash from a furious dragoon who was far stronger and more skilled than his brethren.

"Nathan Hunter or would you prefer Ghost Fang? Not that it matters. A dead man is a dead man regardless of the name he goes by."

Ordinarily Nate would've had a snappy comeback ready but at the moment he found himself in a sleeper hold that was threatening to not only suffocate him but also break his neck entirely as the dragoon veteran known as Malik tightened his hold.

Before the man could follow through on his murderous intentions, Nate extended an omni-blade and added yet another gash to the other side of his adversary's face, causing him to relinquish his grip.

"Now you match, bastard." he coughed while struggling to his feet.

Malik ignored his insolence and immediately extended his whips before initiating a furious string of strikes that put Nate on the defensive as he struggled to avoid the onslaught.

" _Damn it! This alley is too narrow. He's got the advantage. What I wouldn't give to have Lou or Ray's muscle right now."_

Nate's regrets were soon cut short when Malik sent his whips into the ground and created a tremor with a biotic smash. After being hammered into a crumpled heap, Nate looked towards Leanne who was still out cold in the center of the alley where he'd dropped her.

"Not…losing you again." he coughed while staggering to his feet.

He then flung Malik back to the other end of the alley where he'd first appeared using a biotic throw before unleashing a salvo of energy blasts to follow up the maneuver. His adversary responded by fortifying his armor with Foucault Currents and erecting a barrier, shrugging off the blasts and stunning Nate with the display.

"Shit! What kind of dragoon is he?!" Nate furiously cursed while bolting back towards Leanne at a breakneck pace.

He once again found himself on the ground when a pair of armor piercing rounds tore through his back and shoulder. Before he could formulate another strategy, he was quickly pulled towards his foe as Malik dragged him off the ground and towards him with another biotic lash. After catching Nate, he casually rammed his head into one of the walls that lined the alley before dropping him to his knees and punching him in the face, completely destroying his already battered helmet in the process.

"I can see why you work as an assassin. This was hardly worth my time. Even if you are the weakest, I expect better from a Hunter."

Malik didn't bother masking his disdain or disappointment before spitting on Nate's beaten down form and taking aim with his heavy pistol. As he prepared to pull the trigger, an explosion suddenly erupted behind him and the small alley quickly filled with smoke afterwards. When it finally cleared a few minutes later, both of his targets had already disappeared.

"I'm not amused." he seethed before rushing off.

* * *

"Come on Nate, hang in there." Rabbit anxiously whispered as he carried Leanne and observed the battered state his friend was in while Lynx dragged him forward and shouldered his weight.

"It's just as I feared. These aren't their typical ground troops. We're dealing with the most elite among their veterans." Lynx added in desperation.

"I kind of figured that when we failed to take out any of those bastards in the lobby. And their leader…I've never seen a dragoon fight like that. The guy tore down an entire ceiling with his whips like it was nothing. These guys are tough, REALLY tough." Rabbit quietly agreed.

"We're going to need backup and not from the Fangs. Only our strongest forces will stand a chance against them. We have to make contact with a Terminus Wolf division and fast." Lynx urgently stated.

"We can call Lou once we get someplace safe. Boss Dog, Liv, Bushido and Bruiser plus all their respective squadrons should be enough to beat these bastards." Rabbit speculated. "This is way more serious than I thought it'd be. What the hell do they want with her?" he angrily added while looking down at Leanne.

"I don't know Rabbit but it's obvious they're prepared to commit their very best resources in order to capture her. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the disturbances caused earlier by Tiburon Rojo are related to this. They've conveniently drawn the Terminus Wolves who were stationed here away from the city making it easier for the Forgotten to launch their attacks. It seems Lou will have a great deal to contend with."

"His first big trial as the new boss, huh? I don't envy him." Rabbit sighed.

A tense silence followed his statement as he and Lynx continued to traverse the maze of alleyways that would hopefully lead them to an escape from their pursuers. After turning a corner and catching sight of a vacant street ahead of them, the duo slowed their approach. They had no intention of abandoning their caution given how dangerous their enemies were proving to be but they were also quite eager to flee while they still had a chance.

"Damn, where is she? She should've been here by now."

"Give her time, Rabbit. She has a right to be wary of us, especially you due to your history of intrusion. You also contacted her without warning during a firefight. We should consider ourselves lucky that she even responded."

"One pair of panties. I'll admit it. I snagged one pair of underwear while I was looting her office a few years ago. Do asari really hold grudges for that long?"

"Pray you never find out." Lynx humorously responded after rolling her eyes.

The somewhat amusing exchange was quickly interrupted when Malik finally caught up to the duo after descending from a rooftop. His arrival created a small crater in the alley and knocked both of his intended victims off balance as the entire area shook.

"Okay, you're pissed. But we can talk about this." Rabbit sheepishly offered while facing the giant standing before him. "I mean, I'm not that invested in the situation. What do I care if you snatch a Shepard? They're a family full of self-righteous assholes if you ask me. Am I right big guy?" he continued while smiling.

Malik responded by pulverizing Rabbit with a massive biotic smash using his whips but was quickly disappointed when he realized that he'd simply destroyed a decoy. The real Rabbit had already scurried ahead into the street that was no longer vacant while carrying Leanne as Lynx boarded a newly arrived sky car after depositing Nate in the backseat.

"You treacherous little coward! Get back here runt!"

"I think I'll pass. I'll be sure to write though. Bye-bye now." Rabbit quipped before tossing his last flashbang grenade at his pursuer.

The asari driver of the vehicle quickly exploited the opening he provided by sealing off the escape route from the alley with a singularity before speeding away.

It took several seconds for the effects of the grenade to wear off and even longer for the singularity to dissipate and once it finally did, Malik was completely livid.

"When I get my hands on that stunted little-"

"Problems, comrade?"

"Now is not the time to test me, Earnest. Why don't you make yourself useful and pursue those weaklings. They're getting away!" Malik raged after his much calmer colleague approached.

"I don't take orders from you Malik. Don't ever forget that. As for our targets, one of my other teams is already on the move. Amber will track them down."

"Your wife? I hope she's not as incompetent as her daughter."

Malik's remark had barely left his mouth when a pair of hands suddenly wrapped themselves around his throat and lifted him into the air.

"We're alone now Malik so I'm free to put you in your place without causing any dissension in the ranks. You and the worthless degenerates who follow your lead are welcome to throw as many casual insults at me as you like. But if you value your lives, you'll refrain from making any more disparaging remarks about my family. Do you understand?"

Earnest didn't wait for a response or give his colleague time to offer one before tossing him to the ground. He took a moment to observe Malik release a few spastic coughs before opening a comm line to his wife.

"How's the hunt honey?"

"Interesting to say the least. They've gotten help from a local info broker. I've got a few reconnaissance operatives scouting her safe houses now."

"And the club? We know Nathan Hunter operates one in the commercial district. The faster we move, the easier it'll be to complete our mission. Those mercenaries won't keep the Wolves occupied for long and it's only a matter of time before they return and regroup with the Fangs in the city. If that happens, things will get even more complicated." Earnest explained. "I never imagined a Hunter would get involved."

"I'm afraid you'll have to brace yourself for even more bad news my love. Shar's strike team was sent to neutralize possible resistance at the club and it didn't go very well."

"Let me guess, the employees turned out to be assassins in disguise and repaid the aggression in equal measure." Earnest replied in exasperation before releasing a sigh.

"Not only that, they were being assisted by another Hunter. A pretty powerful one too. He apparently tore Shar's people apart almost single-handedly."

"What?! How many Hunters are down here right now?!"

"We aren't sure yet but this is worrisome. Elise, Tobias, none of the children are prepared to face a Hunter or the Terminus Wolves. And if the Terminus Hunter himself happens to be here, that could spell trouble for all of us."

"If he is, I'll face him. I don't want any heroics out of you or the others. Alright?"

"Sorry, I didn't catch that last part."

"Amber…Must I beg?"

"You could but it wouldn't do any good. Relax Earnest, we'll all be fine."

"I'll relax once this job is over and we've received what was promised to us. I find this whole operation distasteful. The fact that Blaine was the one who brokered the deal only makes me more wary."

"I know but this may be our only chance and we have to take it. You and I can pay penance to the Shepards later after we've secured things for the children. They deserve better than the lives they've led up until now, much better."

"You're right." Earnest quietly agreed. "I'd better begin arranging your backup. Be careful honey."

"Always."

After ending the communication with his spouse, several distressing thoughts began plaguing the veteran dragoon. Just how many Hunters were they going to have to deal with and who exactly was the mystery man at the club?

"It might be him you know. The new king, the Beast of the Abyss." Malik suddenly speculated after finally getting to his feet. "If it is, your little chicks are in for a slaughter." he laughed.

"It could also be the Nemean Enforcer. Either possibility poses a problem for all of us." Earnest calmly responded while contemplating their next move.

"Only for your brats. I've already proven I can take down a Hunter. Fighting one of his brothers won't make a bit of difference to me."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Earnest casually replied before walking off, infuriating his associate in the process.

* * *

"I'm gonna kill that idiot once he gets back here." Ray angrily announced after putting his battle hammer away.

He was standing in the middle of Nate's club surrounded by dead Forgotten forces and his brother's vivacious employees who were all holding weapons of their own.

"You're pretty amazing Ray. I didn't think anyone could demolish that many troopers and dragoons. It's no wonder you were in the running to take over for Mal." an awed young dancer commented while admiring the club's unexpected guardian.

"Don't bother flattering me and you can all drop the act now. I know you're Shadow Fangs." Ray sternly responded before growing quiet. "Is…Is Nate a part of this? Is my brother an assassin too?"

The silence that met his inquiry told him all he needed to know. The hush that had fallen over the area was quickly broken by an alert that had been sent to all of the girls' omni-tools.

"It's Lynx. She's with Nate and Rabbit. This is bad. They need help." one of the girls said in a panic.

"Oh they'll get help alright and that lying ass clown is gonna give me some answers. All of you get your gear ready. We're heading out." Ray ordered but the girls all hesitated for a moment causing him to grow even more irate. "Did I stutter?! MOVE!" he barked.

The young women immediately scattered in different directions while Ray pondered the situation. His brother-his goofy, irresponsible, laid-back, deadbeat older brother may have actually been more reliable than he ever imagined.

"I guess I'll just have to beat the truth out of him." he grumbled.

"Don't hit him too hard." The krogan dancer named Dirka suggested after joining him. "He's not like you or your other brothers."

"I know. But that doesn't change the fact that we love the clown." Ray replied sincerely. "But I guess I'll hold off on knocking some sense into him until after I've dealt with the rest of these Forgotten bastards. Nobody screws with my family and lives." he ominously added.

* * *

"Trials of the Maiden by Lady V. Doc, don't tell me you actually read this garbage?" Rabbit quipped while lounging across a sofa in Liara's living room and perusing a few titles inside a datapad sitting on top of her coffee table.

"That's none of your business and I suggest you keep your hands where I can see them. I have no intention of tolerating your thievery for a second time." Liara warned him from a large chair across the room while scanning a console that was resting across her lap.

"I've read that one myself. It's quite…stimulating." Lynx admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

"It is a good book. I can't wait for the next volume myself." Leanne added before turning her attention back to Nate who was lying across a bed on the second floor.

"Damn, you missed me so bad you had to resort to reading trashy romance novels to pass the time. I'm really touched Miss Sublime." Nate joked weakly.

"Shut up, just shut up. Look at you. What happened after I was knocked out?"

"Oh, I decided to go dancing and missed a few steps. Clumsy me." Nate continued to joke.

"Should I ask Rabbit or Lynx instead? It seems like they know far more about your life than I do."

"Leanne…what do you want to know?"

"How long? How long have you been doing this?"

"A few years now. I started getting hands-on training before my seventeenth birthday. I know this doesn't exactly make things better but half of my family is in the dark too."

"Why?"

"Because it's safer that way and-"

"I mean why do this? Why expose yourself to this kind of danger? Being a Terminus Wolf is risky enough but being an assassin and a Terminus Wolf-Why Nate?"

"A long time ago I made a vow. I swore I'd keep watch over everyone from the shadows, that I'd be the dagger that safeguarded my brothers and sisters. That's all there is to it."

"Is this one of those Hunter things that I won't ever understand?"

"Let me put it like this. Are you still planning to follow your little cousins once they're older in order to keep an eye on them?"

Leanne stared down into Nate's eyes several moments before finally offering her response. "I am."

"See? It's not that hard to understand. Our methods may be different but our motivations are the same." Nate gently stated before reaching up and placing a hand on the side of her face. "Sorry for keeping it from you and for disappearing. I really have missed you Leanne."

"Nate, where do we go from here?" she sighed.

"I don't know yet but right now my only concern is keeping you safe. We can sort through the rest later over lunch. That was the original plan, right?" he teased causing her to smile. "So, about your choice in literature…"

Leanne immediately punched him in the arm after growing flush. "You make me so mad sometimes."

"Nice one, Nate." Rabbit chuckled from the couch while observing the couple above him. "Lynx did you manage to reach anyone for help?"

"I've notified everyone at the club. But more importantly I was able to make contact with the Fenrir. Lou's begun mobilizing the Wolves who are already stationed on the planet. They just returned to the city and are preparing to leave the Den now. The Forgotten are in for a nasty surprise." she informed him as a sinister smirk appeared on her face.

"I know that look. What kind of heavy hitters should we be expecting?" Rabbit cautiously inquired.

"You'll see." Lynx replied coyly while smiling.

* * *

"Your objective is to reach Nate and keep him and Leanne Shepard out of the Forgotten's clutches. You'll be facing the most skilled and powerful veterans of their organization so don't hold back or underestimate the enemy. Am I making myself clear?"

Lucas Hunter's holo-form was looming in the center of a communication room within the Nos Astra Den of the Terminus Wolves where a small squad of soldiers were listening intently to their leader.

"We're on it Lou, don't worry."

"You'd better be. I'd hate to have to come down there myself. Actually, that's a lie but Rain thinks I should get used to letting my troops pick up the slack." Lucas humorously responded. "By the way, welcome back." he cheerfully added before disappearing.

"Well, you all heard my little brother. Let's do this."

With those words Vincent Hunter grabbed his Lumina Assault Rifle from a table and led the way towards the door. It was time to make good on his promise.


	36. Chapter 36 Feelings That Won't Reach

Chapter 36: Feelings That Won't Reach

The past few weeks had been tough to say the least for a certain member of the Hunter clan. He'd finally rejoined his former colleagues and friends within the most elite branch of his family's organization after recovering from the retribution they felt was necessary for his leaving in the first place. He also had to endure the lingering animosity that several still felt towards him. Despite that, he was fully prepared to commit himself to the mission that his squad had just been handed. He and his companions hadn't been granted much time to recuperate following their battle against a detachment of rival mercs who'd made the surprising decision to attack one of their supply depots outside of Nos Astra. Now they found themselves facing the very real prospect of fighting the most dangerous of the Forgotten pirate band. The whole situation was shaping up to be more perilous than any of them realized but they had their orders. More importantly, the life of a Hunter was at stake and Vince had no intention of losing another brother.

"Who would've figured Lou's guys would end up on Illium? Last I heard they'd just finished destroying the batarian raiders on Lorek. Small galaxy, isn't it?" Dylan casually pondered in an effort to ease the tension.

His team was already riding a shuttle that was headed towards Nate's last known location somewhere in a high class residential district.

"It seems Lucas has been rather prolific in the hunt for those responsible for the Heshtok Tragedy so far. It's commendable." Zeke quietly added.

"Of course he's been successful. Lou has always been amazing. Strong, confident, a superb leader, charming-It's a shame he has to put up with some of the filth that are his brothers." Meena scoffed while glancing at Vince. "One's a lazy layabout who's finally bitten off more than he can chew and another one is a fickle deserter who's eager to play the role of big brother until he gets bored again. At least he has Ray and someday Jordy. He deserves that much."

"Still not gonna lay off Vince, huh?"

"It's fine, Dylan. Let her fume. She'll run out of fuel eventually."

"Don't count on it and don't count on me trusting you either. I don't care what Mal says, you lost that honor the moment you left. And I won't let you screw this up, not with everything that's at stake. This is my chance to finally prove myself, to get Lou to consider letting me…Nevermind."

"So you still wish to join Lucas' Beast Brigade? They are among the most prestigious within the Terminus Wolf divisions." Zeke mused.

"Is that true?" Vince asked in shock. "But why Lou's team? Why not Liv's Amazons or Victor's Pride or-"

"Oh, Vince. You can be so clueless sometimes." Dylan casually cut in. "Our dear Meena has no interest in any division that's lacking a certain little brother of yours."

"Not another word, Dylan. I mean it." Meena angrily warned.

"You mean Lou? Wait, are you saying-"

"Shut. Up." Meena snarled.

"You must remember the fight she and Rain had a year or so back. What did you think it was about?" Dylan quipped.

"I just assumed it was Meena being Meena. I had no idea…"

Vince still found himself struggling to comprehend the revelation. He knew that many of the treasures idolized his younger brother but it had never really dawned on him that some may have harbored deeper feelings for him.

"It must've really hurt your ego to have someone younger defeat you in a fight but there's no shame in losing to Rain. She is Leo and Libra's daughter after all and Victor's big sister. If she wasn't following Lou, she could be leading her own crew right now. She's easily the strongest out of her siblings. So don't beat yourself up about it." Dylan consolingly offered.

"I don't need your pity." Meena bitterly responded before turning her attention to her assault rifle and growing quiet.

"I've heard Lucas has many admirers. They say Eleanor Rowen is smitten with him as well. I suppose that would explain why our ties and contracts with her family have increased during the past few years." Zeke placidly stated.

"She's unworthy and if she ever gets too familiar with him, I'll kill her."

"That charmingly homicidal nature of yours won't win you any points with Lou. Miss Rowen is a friend of his, you know that right? I'm pretty sure he'd be upset if anything happened to her." Dylan reminded his companion.

"I have to agree but more importantly Lucas is devoted Rain. We all know this. Someday she will be-"

"I never said I wanted to take her place. I already know what they and their parents have planned. All I want is to be near him so that I can act as the bodyguard that he deserves. Lou needs a proper escort, especially now. We can't afford to lose him, I can't afford to lose him." Meena seriously interjected before Zeke could finish.

"Um, I hate to break this to you Meena but Lou's not big on having bodyguards. He used to dodge the entourages that Tess assigned him all the time back when we were kids. In fact, we all did." Vince informed her.

"Which is why I plan to join his Beast Brigade. He shouldn't have any complaints if I'm acting directly under his command and the forces serving under him now are a joke. They're mostly vorcha and ill-suited to protecting him. Just look at what happened on Heshtok. _He_ ended up saving _them_. He'd just lost his brother and had to fight a chain of battles that no other man could've…Someone has to be there to help him. He may be mature and more responsible than most but he's still young and too many people tend to forget that."

A thoughtful silence followed her remark while the others pondered what she'd just said. "I've been meaning to ask you for awhile now but exactly how and when did you fall for our new king?" Dylan finally joked.

"Go fuck yourself Dylan since Adriana obviously won't be doing it anymore." Meena viciously responded.

"Ouch! Alright, I guess that's my cue to shut up."

While Zeke patted his friend on the shoulder in a mild effort to console him after the rather brutal verbal jab, Vince took a moment to observe Meena who was once again staring at her Lumina Assault Rifle. It was a customized model that she'd personally upgraded but he had the distinct feeling that there was another reason why she seemed to treasure the firearm more than most.

"I guess the men in this family are destined to break a few hearts." he quietly lamented while leaning back in his seat.

* * *

"Cal quickly pulled her into an embrace. Their heartbeats pounded together in a passionate resonance that only heightened their mutual yearning. His hand slowly ran through the length of Valora's hair before gradually reaching her back and descending lower. The gasp of ecstasy that she released as he approached her more sensitive areas was immediately covered by a kiss that Cal planted on her luscious, welcoming lips. Their steamy exchange was only interrupted when her lover suddenly received a message on his omni-tool. 'Duty calls but I think it can wait. Jason can lead the men in my absence. Right now, something more important requires my attention.' he amorously explained between heated breaths while gazing into the eyes of his beloved. 'Cal, we shouldn't. Little Prince will be home from school any minute now. What if he catches us?' Valora nervously responded before taking a quick glance towards her front door. 'Then he'll realize how much his parents love each other in spite of the circumstances. I can't wait any longer, Valora. I need you, I want you, and today, I'll finally have you once more.' Despite her concerns Valora gave in and leapt into her eager beau's arms before tearing into the collar of his shirt while he carried her to the bedroom. They had both waited for far too long."

After reading a passage from the wildly successful romance novel, Rabbit slowly placed the datapad that it was stored in back onto the coffee table before staring blankly at everyone in the apartment.

"It gets a LOT more explicit after that." he finally stated. "Who in the hell wrote this?" he added incredulously before glancing down at the story. "This Lady V…she's gotta be an asari."

"And why is that?" Liara asked while eyeing him.

"Because, you know, you're all-Actually, forget I said anything."

"You're way off base Rabbit. The principal characters are all human and the setting isn't someplace your typical asari would think up. Terminus Systems, a protagonist who's an ex pirate turned mercenary who falls in love with the married leader of a merc company-Oh no." Nate suddenly groaned from his bed as a startling realization dawned on him. "She didn't, she couldn't. What am I saying? Of course she could've. Dad lets her do whatever she wants. I can't believe this. I wonder if anybody else has figured it out."

"What's the big deal?"

"Rabbit, think about it. Valora's love interest is named _Cal_. He's married with children and his wife's name is _Jess_. He's also got a bunch of friends who work for him and one of them is named _Jason_. Not only that, he and Valora have a son named _Prince_. Is any of this clicking?" Nate replied in exasperation. "And the author of the book writes under the penname Lady V. Ring any bells?"

Rabbit took a moment to consider the info before finally growing wide-eyed once he'd pieced everything together. "But how did she-"

"Dad probably let her publish the damned thing after she sweet talked him into it. You know he always lets my mischievous aunt get her way. I really hope mom doesn't know about this little serial. Even though it's pure fantasy, she'd still explode."

"No kidding." Rabbit quipped.

"What are you two talking about?"

"We'll tell you about it later, Lynx." Rabbit promised.

"Me too, I hope." Leanne added from Nate's bedside.

"Of course." Nate assured her.

"Tell your mystery author that I'm looking forward to the next installment and that I'll be deeply upset if Kaya has her heart broken." Liara added while getting to her feet.

"Who?" Nate and Rabbit both asked in confusion.

"She's a friend of Cal's and they have a history together. She melded with him back in chapter-Just read the book." Leanne brusquely responded before helping Nate to his feet.

"She even threw Taya in." Nate whispered to himself while shaking his head before releasing a chuckle. "Now that I think about it, this is pretty funny. I can't wait to mess with Dad later."

"We should prepare to leave and soon. My sources have informed me that the Forgotten are already closing in on this location and I doubt the security measures here will be enough to hold them off." Liara announced before leading the way to a secret door that suddenly revealed itself after she waved her omni-tool in front of a section of wall within the living room of her dwelling.

Awaiting behind the door was the entrance to a large pneumatic tube that presumably led to a secret escape passage from her apartment building. A minute later, everyone gathered around the newly opened doorway while Liara began locking down her residence. Within seconds, a series of shutters and kinetic barriers erected themselves over her windows while a magnetic seal reinforced the door that led inside her home. Once her work was complete she turned her attention back to her guests.

"The thief can go down first to make sure the route is clear. Leanne, you and Nate can follow and Lynx can proceed after your trip. I'll go last once I've secured the entrance."

"Where does this thing even-"

Liara didn't bother to let Rabbit voice his uncertainty any further before tossing him into the tube using her biotics. After hearing his voice trail off below, everyone was eventually greeted by the bitter sounds of cursing as Rabbit hit the surface of wherever the escape tube led.

"I'm fine by the way! You're a real stand-up lady, Doc!" he furiously shouted from below.

The smallest of smirks appeared on Liara's face before she directed the others down. Within minutes, everyone had rejoined Rabbit inside of a dimly lit underground corridor.

"This all seems really elaborate, Liara. Even for an info broker. I know it's a dangerous business but still…" Leanne mused.

"You can never be too cautious." Liara replied dismissively while leading the way forward.

After reaching a ladder that led up, the group carefully ascended their way to a hatch that led into a small, deserted alley behind Liara's building.

"We should proceed to the Terminus Wolves' Den. Your soldiers should be able to provide ample protection for Leanne until I can reach Shepard and the others. I'll also have to warn Jacob about the situation before he arrives." Liara suggested.

"A few of our people are already on their way to meet us. Some of the Wolves are still dealing with the scattered remains of the Tiburon Rojos' incursions outside the city." Lynx explained while helping Leanne shoulder Nate. "But the ones who are on their way happen to be among our best."

"I'd vouch for her but she still won't tell me specifically who's coming." Rabbit added in agitation. "Wait a minute. Lynx, a certain jackass who gets way more passes than he deserves had better not be one of them. I swear I'll-"

The beginning of Rabbit's tirade was promptly cut short when Liara suddenly pulled out a Spider Heavy Pistol and opened fired behind him. He didn't have time to be outraged or question her actions before a phantom suddenly fell dead after decloaking.

"Go, NOW!" Liara commanded as more of the agile biotics began appearing in the narrow alleyway.

Afterwards, she covered their escape with gunfire while the youths struggled to flee the ambush. After reaching the front of the apartment building, they found themselves surrounded by a staggering number of hostiles that included troopers, phantoms, dragoons and nearly a dozen war mechs of the Gaia variety that were being piloted by seasoned veterans.

"I'm sure you realize the severity of the situation so just make this easy on yourselves and surrender Leanne Shepard. I'd prefer not to be responsible for the Terminus Hunter losing another child. I know what that feels like."

The request or demand depending on how you viewed things came from a phantom in orange armor who was leading a contingent of forces that were conspicuously distant from the others.

"I met a girl who looks a lot like you earlier tonight. I didn't want to fight her and I don't want to fight her mother either. But you're not leaving me with much of a choice here." Nate calmly responded while leaning on Lynx.

He was still quite injured and it would take at least a few hours for his wounds to fully heal but he wasn't planning to back down.

"He's all talk, just look at the state he's in. Malik really did a number on him." another of the lead phantoms quickly responded while observing him. "But I'm glad he's still breathing. I owe him and his friends for wiping out my pawns."

"We need the Shepard girl alive, Flora." another phantom reminded her. "And you aren't the only one who's suffered losses tonight."

"Strange, isn't it Shar? Amber and her nauseatingly hypocritical husband have their entire division intact, meanwhile everyone else has taken some nasty hits thanks to these Hunters. It really makes you think, doesn't it?" Flora bitterly pondered.

"If you'd actually been thinking in the first place you wouldn't have lost so many people to begin with." Amber coolly stated, visibly angering her compatriots.

"Ladies, this is all one big misunderstanding-A simple case of mistaken identity. We all happen to be exotic dancers who are just trying to find our way to a private party that's being thrown by a raunchy elcor millionaire. Our client wanted us to dress up as celebrities, hence the disguises. I'll admit our makeup guys did good work but-"

"Kill the little one first, he annoys me." Flora ordered her people.

Her subordinates responded instantly and opened fire on Rabbit, who once again foiled the attempts on his life by utilizing a skillfully placed decoy while he dove on top of his companions before they could be targeted as well.

"If you hadn't opened your big mouth earlier that might've actually worked!" he grumbled while taking cover with Nate and the others behind a parked sky car.

"Yeah, I'm sure." his friend replied in annoyance.

"You can bicker with each other later, we have bigger concerns at the moment." Lynx informed both as the Gaia mechs began advancing.

"The defensive encryption on these things is a joke." Leanne stated in amusement while working on her omni-tool.

Within seconds of her remark, the Gaias had turned on each other and their allies while the confused and panicked pilots inside struggled to regain control of the mechs.

"Nice!" Rabbit exclaimed in appreciation.

"Idiots. They were told she's a tech genius and yet they insisted on bringing their worthless machines anyway." Amber lamented while observing the chaos from a safe distance with her team.

"What should we do? Help?" an amused young trooper hesitantly asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Pierre. We'll do what we always do. Wait for the opportunity to clean up their mess and then make our move." Amber calmly informed him before disappearing with several of her fellow phantoms.

"We've gotta make an exit and soon. Even without those oversized mechs, these bastards still have an advantage." Rabbit raged while exchanging fire with a pair of troopers.

Half of the Gaias had destroyed themselves while the rest were wreaking havoc on the remaining Forgotten forces but there were still enough left to pose a serious threat to their intended targets and the situation only grew worse when a drop ship full of reinforcements arrived with a pair of familiar veterans leading them.

"Damn, it's that dragoon who kicked your ass earlier and his girlfriend!" Rabbit furiously announced in between gunfire.

"Good, I owe him some payback."

"You aren't moving from this spot until we've got an escape route cleared." Leanne commanded.

"I agree. Even at your best, that monster would be a dangerous adversary to face." Lynx concurred before toppling an advancing squad of troopers with a shockwave. They were immediately replaced by an even larger detachment within moments as well as two dragoons. "We can't keep this position secure for much longer!"

"Well we can't move either!" Rabbit shouted in desperation.

Before either of them could panic any further, another vehicle suddenly crashed onto the scene and mowed down the approaching enemy soldiers. After spinning around and depositing its passengers, the newly arrived sky car came to a stop beside the besieged cover position where Nate and the others were struggling to hold out.

"Nice driving Dirka! We'll handle it from here!" a familiar voice shouted in the midst of gunfire and explosions.

"I can't believe it! I never thought I'd be so glad to see Bruiser!" Rabbit happily announced after Ray unleashed a barrage from his Meteor Machine Gun.

After vaporizing a small contingent of troopers and toppling several more with a shockwave, Ray quickly dove behind the parked and battered vehicle where his brother and friends had taken refuge.

"Hey Ray. How's it going?" Nate weakly greeted.

"You stupid, lying, two-faced, dumbass, clown." he berated while glaring at his brother. He took a moment to take in the sight of Nate's wounded form and the signature armor he was wearing. "This just keeps getting better. You're not just an assassin, you're _the_ assassin. You're Ghost Fang! Nate, I'm gonna kill you later!"

"Can you please give him a break right now? You're not the only one who had to learn about this tonight." Leanne pleaded.

Ray almost did a double take when he finally noticed her. "You're one of Old Man Shepard's grandkids. What the hell are you doing here?"

"She's the Forgotten's target. They're trying to abduct her and devoting a lot of time and effort in the endeavor." Lynx quickly explained.

"And how exactly is this our problem?" Ray quickly responded before firing an explosive particle blast overhead, damaging the enemy drop ship and forcing it to retreat.

"It's our problem because I say it is, Ray." Nate responded in a tone so stern it actually surprised his younger brother who wasn't accustomed to seeing him be so serious.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Bruiser, it's a long story and we don't have time to go over it right now. Just trust us when we say that Leanne Shepard can't fall into enemy hands. It's important to Nate." Rabbit cut in.

Ray quickly glanced down at his beaten up brother and instantly recognized the look in his eyes. It was a look he'd seen only a few times before but often enough to realize its importance. He'd observed it while helping his older brother Lucas during a particularly brutal fight against pirates several years earlier in order to reach Rain, who'd been surrounded. He'd witnessed it even earlier whenever his reckless baby brother Jordan felt that Cherish was being threatened. And just recently, he'd seen it in Julian's eyes whenever he caught sight of Olivia and thought no one else was looking.

"A Shepard Nate? Goddammit, you're really pushing me to the limit, you know that?"

"It's what I do little bro." Nate quietly joked before taking hold of Leanne's hand. "But this is how things are. Deal with it."

"Mom's gonna lose it. Liv's gonna be pissed too. At least Dad will be happy. Her father is that Ethan guy, right? His old buddy. I guess that has to count for something." Ray wearily responded before releasing a sigh.

"Ray, does that mean you'll-"

"It means your girlfriend should keep her head down while I go to work if she wants to make it out of here alive." Ray quickly interrupted in annoyance. "Seeing a clown like you be serious for once…she must be something special."

Afterwards, he deployed his tech armor and erected a barrier while readying his machine gun before promptly diving over their cover position and rejoining the battle that had now escalated thanks to the arrival of Nate's Shadow Fang subordinates from the club.

"Wow. I expected him to blow up after finding out. Maybe Bruiser's more grown up than I thought." Rabbit thoughtfully pondered.

"I must admit, I'm fairly shocked myself." Lynx agreed.

"Sometimes, Ray can surprise you." Nate responded while smiling.

"Alright, who wants some?!" Ray roared after overheating his Meteor and dismantling another contingent of troopers.

He quickly found himself the target of two phantoms who met some very swift and brutal ends once he'd pulled out his hammer and charged it with biotics. A dragoon attempted to retaliate while he was distracted but found his arms shattered after Ray's hammer made contact during his whip assault.

"Save that crap for those Alliance pushovers who don't know any better." Ray taunted before bringing his hammer down on his foe's head.

He continued his rampage across the battlefield while the Shadow Fangs covered his assault until a massive dragoon in blue armor rushed him from his left, almost catching him off guard. The veteran was already fortified with a barrier and Foucault Currents and his whip strikes were far more precise and powerful than his subordinates.

"You're not as pathetic as the other one. Who are you?" the stranger demanded after closing in on Ray.

"Raymond Hunter, fifth born and the strongest son in this family outside of the Beast of the Abyss." Ray confidently declared while staring his newest opponent down. "And who are you supposed to be? Another lousy dragoon looking to die?"

His adversary simply laughed. "The name's Malik and I'm the guy who nearly killed your brother earlier tonight."

Ray immediately tightened his grip on his hammer while instinctively increasing his muscles using his focus. "Is that right? Then I owe you a special ass kicking."

The next exchange between the two men saw Malik send a tremor at Ray after driving his whips into the ground while Ray directed a shockwave at his adversary. Both sustained damage that was almost completely mitigated by their respective defenses. Malik quickly followed up his initial onslaught with massive biotic sweep of his whips, tearing through the earth and everything else in front of him with ruthless efficiency. He hadn't expected Ray to be dead but at the very least wounded and stripped of his barrier and tech armor. Thus, the barrier detonation that blasted him off his feet afterwards completely caught the veteran by surprise. Before he could recover, a biotically charged battle hammer was already being swung downward on a collision course with his chest. Fortunately for him, three of his associates took that exact to moment to decloak and stab Ray from three different angles using their monomolecular blades. Moving in tandem, they each followed up with a warp and cut into Ray's tech armor once more, finally breaching it and bringing him to his knees as the swords cut into his upper body.

"You dirty whores." Ray snarled after falling.

"It's called tactics, boy." Flora casually stated while smirking at her mark.

"It's surprising that he actually had Malik on the ropes. You're starting to slip." Shar taunted while glancing at her dragoon colleague who'd just returned to his feet.

"It's either that or this child happens to be one of the stronger heirs. I suppose there was some truth to his bluster. We should finish him now before he becomes a problem in the future like his older brothers." Delilah suggested.

"I'll do it." Malik angrily announced while pulling out a heavy pistol and aiming it at Ray's head. "Farewell, brat."

Sadly, for the second time in one night he found his execution interrupted, this time by the arrival of a shuttle that was already depositing Terminus Wolf reinforcements. One of the new arrivals quickly made his presence known by sabotaging and overheating Malik's pistol along with those of every Forgotten soldier nearby, scorching their hands in the process. After they'd dropped their weapons, a slew of particle beams began tearing through their ranks as the small squad of Wolves made their advance. The Forgotten veterans quickly identified the symbol on one of their aggressors' armor and realized who'd just joined the fight.

"A wolf with a fist at its back. That's him, the Nemean Enforcer. The Terminus Hunter's oldest son." Flora quietly stated before disappearing after activating a cloak.

"Damn it, where's our backup?!" Shar angrily demanded before vanishing herself.

"Think you can handle him? Chances are good that he's tougher than the brat who almost took you down earlier." Delilah seriously inquired.

"He got lucky." Malik stubbornly insisted while readying himself for Vince's approach.

Whether Delilah believed him or not, she promptly cloaked herself and left her colleague to face the young Hunter alone.

Malik decided not to wait for his enemy and took the initiative by sweeping across the area with his whips. En route, he was blasted with a warp that actually managed to destroy his barrier. Undeterred, he continued his charge while being bombarded by a string of warp laced particle beams that tore through his Foucault reinforced armor and finally slowed his approach. Realizing he was vulnerable, he reached for a submachine gun but found himself on the receiving end of a burning omni-blade slash that cut across his chest once Vince finally closed the gap between them. After falling on his back he stared up into the furious eyes of the Terminus Hunter's former right hand man who already had an assault rifle aimed at his face.

"Hurry up and finish it." Malik spat.

"With pleasure." Vince coldly replied before pulling the trigger.

After executing the troublesome vet, Vince turned his attention to Ray who was wounded on the ground nearby. He quickly approached after opening fire on the scattered opposition that was still taking shots at them from behind a series of shield pylons that had recently been deployed by a few enemy engineers. He continued to return fire before finally tossing a pair of cluster grenades behind the pylons, flushing his targets out into the open where he promptly drained their shields and sent them all sailing into the air with a biotic pull where they were immediately killed by the next barrage from his Lumina. With the most immediate threats dealt with, he focused his attention on Ray. After confirming that his younger brother's armor had administered medi-gel to his wounds, he quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You haven't changed at all Ray. You're still too reckless. A barrier and those muscles won't always keep you safe." he gently scolded.

"Go to hell." Ray groaned from the ground. "What are you even doing here?"

"Looking after my little brothers." Vince responded while attempting to help him to his feet.

"A little late for that now." Ray coldly countered before shoving him away. "You wanna help? Go check on Nate."

The two brothers stared at each other briefly before quietly going their separate ways.

"I must say, this is a fascinating revelation Nathan. I doubt anyone suspected you of being the infamous Ghost Fang." Zeke placidly stated while wiping out the remaining Gaia mechs with a Hyperion.

The serene behemoth had already made his way over to Nate and the others with minimal effort on his part.

"How many times am I gonna have to hear that before the night is over?" Nate replied in exasperation.

"Too many. Just do us a favor colossus, clear a landing area so the shuttle can swing back and pick everyone up before these bastards start to regroup or get any more reinforcements." Rabbit wearily requested.

"I'm afraid it may be too late for that." Zeke calmly informed him as several more enemy shuttles arrived along with a gunship. "They really are insistent on capturing you Miss Shepard."

"Why? What do they want from me? This is insane." Leanne whispered as a small army of fresh hostiles began converging all across the area.

The street outside of Liara's apartment was officially a warzone and attempts by local authorities to close in were now being met by heavy artillery and mass accelerator cannons from Forgotten aircraft that were steadily circling the area.

"Could anyone really be worth this kind of carnage? What if Liara got hurt because of me or worse. I-I can't…"

"Leanne, look at me." Nate ordered while tightening his grip on her hand. "This isn't your fault. None of it. The Forgotten instigated all of this and you can be damn sure that the Terminus Wolves are gonna finish it. Okay?"

The small smile that appeared on her face put Nate at ease. But the tender moment wouldn't last. Several things happened during the next few seconds. Zeke was hurled across the battlefield by biotic lash that was powerful enough to tear a tree from its roots. Nate and the others were subdued by a salvo of concussive rounds and Leanne was finally captured by the phantom who'd never taken an eye off her.

"Forgive me, Nathan Hunter. And if you can't, at least forgive my children."

With those parting words, Amber the veteran phantom nimbly departed with an unconscious Leanne slung across her shoulder.

"Dylan, they've got Leanne! You and Meena cover me! I'm going to catch that phantom!" Vince furiously shouted while bolting after the agile pirate leader after witnessing her abduction.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." an even-tempered dragoon casually declared after cutting him off.

"Then we do this the hard way."

Vince instinctively created a warp using his right hand but before he could fire it, he found his entire body being pulled forward by a biotic lash. The mystery dragoon met his arrival with a fist to the midsection that caused him to keel over in pain. The man had done more than simply knock the wind out of him and the uncontrollable coughs that followed his assault were proof that he was no ordinary pirate.

"Bastard took Vince down in one blow. That's one helluva dragoon." Dylan grudgingly admitted from across the battlefield while maintaining his fire on the troopers who were blocking his path towards the kidnappers.

"Don't forget about Zeke. He ko'd our big guy without even touching him. He's gotta be their boss." Meena speculated while assisting him.

"Lou warned us and we still let them get the upper hand. Damn it!"

"It's not over yet. I don't give two shits about that Shepard girl but I'll be damned if I'm gonna let Lou down. I'll be back."

"Meena, don't even think about-"

Before Dylan could stop her, his unruly companion had already disappeared in a blur after initiating a biotic charge. When she reappeared in front of Amber, she immediately tossed a pair of throwing blades that pierced her target's legs and caused her to drop Leanne.

"You're skilled, very skilled." Amber stated in admiration. Her legs were already going numb. "Poison, that's an unusual approach for the Wolves."

"Maybe but not unheard of. A turian biotic taught me. She's an old vet just like you and an original member of the Terminus Wolves." Meena informed her.

"She must be proud like any teacher would be."

"Don't patronize me. What would you know about it? About any of us? Actually, forget I asked." Meena angrily responded before gathering the energy from her barrier into the palm of her hand in preparation for a phase disruptor. "Someone close to my heart taught me how to do this. It's a move he learned from his father, a man who I also happen to admire. His son, our leader, ordered us to keep that worthless little girl away from you and I don't plan on failing him."

"Let me give you a little advice young one." Amber serenely responded while drawing her monomolecular blade. "Life is full of disappointments."

What happened next was a brief exchange of hostilities as Meena fired her phase disruptor, seemingly killing her target who turned out to be a decoy. The real phantom then decloaked behind her and knocked the young soldier out cold with a strike to the back of her head using the hilt of her sword.

"I hope you enjoyed that because it won't be working on me." an angry newcomer suddenly warned her before a shockwave tore past.

"Raymond Hunter, I saw your fight against Malik. It was impressive, your father must be pleased with your growth."

"Me and you are fighting not talking." Ray bluntly responded before opening fire with is Meteor.

His target was moving considerably slower thanks to Meena's poison blades and several of his shots found their mark, eventually destroying her barrier. As he prepared to finish her, an enormous tremor from the ground suddenly floored him as a pair of biotic whips stabbed the earth nearby. An armor piercing round followed the offensive and wounded his shoulder before he could recover.

"That wasn't very gentlemanly of you, young man. My wife isn't an old ragdoll that you can toss around or abuse."

"Earnest, take the girl. My legs won't move anymore."

"Then I'll just have to carry you." Before his wife could object, the old dragoon veteran had already scooped her up into his arms. "Elise, Tobias, you know what to do."

Within seconds of summoning his children, they both appeared after decloaking along with the other members of their squad while the rest of their faction's forces joined them and left the rival members of the Forgotten to deal with the resistance left in the street nearby.

"Be careful with her, Tobias. I don't know what our clients have planned and I don't really want to think about it. The least we can do is make sure she doesn't suffer before we deliver her." Elise regretfully requested as her brother gently lifted Leanne from the ground.

"If she's with us, there won't be any problems. But if Blaine gets his hands on her once we return…"

"Tobias, I won't let that happen. She won't leave my sight or your mother's until the exchange. We'll all keep watch over her, now let's go."

Following his promise, the old dragoon veteran quickly departed as several shuttles arrived to pick him and his people up, leaving behind a battered battlefield in their wake.

"Leanne…Leanne!"

The minute Nate roused back to consciousness, he sprang to his feet like a man possessed. His eyes immediately began darting across the torn up street, past explosions and gunfights before eventually locking onto the departing Forgotten forces in the distance who were in the middle of retreating at the end of the block.

"Like hell I'll let you get away!" he roared before sprinting towards them in a frenzy.

He slipped past firefights, cut his way through troopers with his omni-blades, bombarded phantoms with biotic salvos and flung an approaching dragoon through a third story window using a biotic leash when he tried to get in his way. As he struggled to reach Leanne's abductors, a monomolecular blade suddenly found its way into his stomach as a veteran phantom appeared in his path.

"Poor baby. Did we take your favorite toy away?" a sickeningly sweet voice mockingly whispered as he fell to the ground. "We did you a favor _Ghost Fang_. Shepards are nothing but trouble."

The sound of laughter grated on Nate's ears for several agonizing seconds as he watched the source stroll away. Her people were finally withdrawing but it didn't matter. They'd gotten what they came for, who they came for. He'd failed her.

"Delilah…I'll kill that bitch." he gasped before blacking out.

* * *

" _Nate! Nate! Wake up you clown! Damn it! What's wrong with him? Why's he convulsing like that?!"_

" _That stab to the gut must've been worse than we thought. His armor is administering red-med. This is about to get ugly. Lynx, get the shuttle ready. I'll carry him over._

" _I swear, that crap gives me nightmares no matter how many times I see it get used. And don't get me started on actually taking the stuff myself."_

" _Dylan, NOT NOW."_

" _Sorry."_

" _I should've had his back. I'm so stupid! I could've come up with a scheme or something!"_

" _Rabbit, don't do this to yourself. He'll pull through but it won't be pretty."_

" _I could make arrangements for a physician if necessary. I have contacts-"_

" _We appreciate the thought Doctor T'Soni but we can handle this. We've got our own doctors and this isn't something we like outsiders to see. Superhumans suffer the most from the side effects and…believe me, it's better you don't see this."_

" _The spasms are beginning to escalate. The hallucinations will begin soon. We should hurry, Vince."_

" _You're right, Zeke. Let's go. Meena, quit sulking and move. We've still got a chance to get Leanne back before they leave the system. Lou won't end up hating you over one mishap but he might if you keep brooding."_

"LEANNE!"

The shriek startled everyone present after Nate suddenly opened his eyes and steadily progressed into more and more spasms.

"Is that normal?" Ray nervously asked. Seeing his brother in such a deplorable state was painful and slightly unsettling.

"Yeah, it is. Let's get to the Den. Nate, we'll get her back. You hear me? Your big brother is giving you his word. So hang in there." Vince vowed while holding his delirious sibling.

The promise was a small comfort but a comfort nonetheless.


	37. Chapter 37 Picking Up the Trail

Chapter 37: Picking Up the Trail

"Any luck so far?"

"No, and we've had every Shadow Fang in the city following up on leads. It's like they just vanished."

Vince's holo-form quickly pounded a desk in frustration while his younger brother gave him a sympathetic look from the communication room of the Fenrir. Lucas Hunter found himself facing a serious predicament. The Forgotten had finally gotten their hands on Leanne Shepard despite his people's best efforts. To make matters worse, nobody seemed to know where they were or what they were planning.

"Well, at least we know they haven't left the planet. I've had our frigates patrolling the system and the Fenrir has been monitoring all traffic coming in and out of Illium. There haven't been any large scale transport vessels entering or leaving the atmosphere and we've been conducting searches of smaller craft that could be used to smuggle her away. The locals weren't exactly thrilled with our actions but once they heard we were hunting the Forgotten, support started pouring in from almost every corporation on the planet. They really pissed off a lot of powerful people with that chase of theirs. They even got the Shadow Broker's attention."

"Really? _The_ Shadow Broker?"

"I'm just as surprised as you. An agent of his contacted us about an hour ago. He said that that his employer was 'deeply concerned about recent events' and that they'd be doing their part to root out the pirates who'd disrupted their operations. Apparently, they're going to relay any pertinent info that they happen to come across as soon as they find it."

"Be careful, Lou. I don't trust that guy or thing or whatever it is and neither does Mal. For all we know the Broker could be using this whole situation to gather more info on us. How many times have his agents crossed paths with ours over the years?"

"Vince, I know the risks but we don't have a lot of options right now. We need every edge we can get and we can't let those bastards escape. I don't know what they want with Leanne but I'd bet anything it has something to do with the arbiters. How's Nate?"

"Healed up and already back on his feet, against the doctors' wishes. Aside from that he's angry, frantic, desperate-It hurts to see him like this. I never realized they were-Did you know about him and Leanne?"

Lucas chose to remain silent. He'd found himself the unwitting guardian of many of his family's secrets over the years including several that involved his siblings' personal affairs. Even though he had prior knowledge about certain situations, he'd always felt it was best not to reveal them or the fact that he was aware of them. If his brothers and sisters wanted his help or advice, then it would be best for them to come to him on their own. That was how he'd always felt.

Vince took note of his silence before releasing a sigh. "Why am I always the one who's out of the loop? Between this and the Ghost Fang thing, I really do fail as a big brother don't I?"

"You think I'm any better? Nate never actually told me about Leanne or his secret identity. I'm not any more informed than you. I just happened to stumble across the occasional odd detail and pieced things together, that's all."

"You really are the best man for this job. Maybe everyone's right about me. I get so swept up in my own issues that I completely ignore everything else around me. I really screwed up, Lou. I let you down, I let Nate down and Leanne. Damn it, Angelica too. She and Leanne are like sisters. Some enforcer I am."

"That's enough. You wanna throw a pity party? Do it later after we've got Leanne back and crushed those shitty pirates. I mean it Vince. No more self-loathing in my presence or anywhere else and that goes for your team too."

"About that…Meena's really beating herself up over this. She could care less about Leanne but the fact that she failed you is still bothering her. I think she-"

"Go get her and then leave us alone." Lucas quickly commanded.

His brother quickly obliged and disappeared. Several moments later, the holo-form of a rough but slightly alluring soldier with a bitter and despondent face materialized in his wake. The young woman was struggling to avoid meeting Lucas' eyes for several reasons, the biggest being her recent failure in the mission her team was handed.

"Meena, look at me."

She reluctantly obeyed the order and prepared herself for the inevitable gaze of disappointment that Lucas was sure to give her. Instead, she found herself staring into the earnest and sympathetic eyes of a man who was prepared to scold but also comfort her. The same eyes of a boy who'd been a steady source of encouragement for her when they were both younger.

"I'm still angry with you. You realize that don't you?"

"I know. I won't make any excuses. I let that phantom get the better of me and-"

"That's not what I'm talking about. I heard about that little disciplinary action you and some of the others took when Vince came back. Care to explain?"

"I won't apologize. He deserved worse and his mother already paid us back. The vertebrae in my back are still sore."

"You all got off easy. Virgo could've done a lot worse. What were you thinking Meena? Uncle Wrandok's always had an asshole streak but I expect better from you, all of you. This can't happen again. Understand?"

"And suppose he leaves again? Turns his back on you and Mal for a second time?"

"He never turned his back on us to begin with. Listen to me Meena, Vince and Angelica are involved. That's never gonna change and neither are their feelings. You're all going to have to get used to it. If he decides that he wants to try his luck at living with her again, then that'll be his decision. I won't stand for another stunt like what you pulled before and if it happens again, I'll be the one dealing with the perpetrators. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Make sure the others know too."

"Lou, I'm sorry."

"I know you are but not for that. You're sorry for upsetting me and for failing in your mission. Not for putting Vince in the hospital or actually losing Leanne. I guess that's the best I can hope for when it comes to you. You can be a really big headache sometimes."

"I don't mean to be. All I've ever wanted was to help you and Mal. But it's always been the other way around, hasn't it?"

"Only in your head."

"You shouldn't tease me when I'm being serious. You've been supporting me ever since I was a teenager."

"Are you still bringing that up? I was just doing what I could to help. You were the one who accepted my advice. I'm no sage."

"You never give yourself enough credit even after all this time. Do you have any idea how galling it was to find reassurance in the words of a twelve year old?"

"Do you have any idea how unnerving it was to stroll past a sixteen year old who was in the middle of throwing a tantrum and wrecking an arcade game while crying in the middle of my favorite entertainment center? I can still remember poor Jex trembling in the corner around closing time. He had no idea how to deal with you."

"He didn't bother to try either. Nobody did. Except you. Everyone else simply avoided me as usual."

"They were too afraid of getting cut by your thorns. Some of the most beautiful flowers always have a few of them. But if you're careful and attentive, they can blossom into something even more amazing."

"You shouldn't say things like that. You're not a little boy anymore and you happen to be more charming than you realize."

"Who's teasing who now? Nate's the ladies' man not me. But I guess that's about to change."

"Are you really okay with this? I never thought much of him and I still don't despite the revelations about his true identity. His value may be questionable but he's still a Hunter. His blood is worth more than anything a Shepard has to offer."

"Do me a favor Meena. Don't EVER doubt the importance that my brothers and sisters hold. That's one line I won't let anyone cross, not even you. As for Nate and Leanne, they'll have me in their corner no matter what happens."

"If you're alright with it, then I won't argue."

"Good. Now, I've heard you've been sulking and I'm ordering you to quit it. We've got work to do."

"I'm ready to follow your lead, just like always. But I'd be more useful if I were closer…"

"Your request is still under consideration."

"By who? You or Rain?"

"Both of us and the rest of my division."

"But you'll have the final word, right?"

"Yeah but I won't just dismiss any concerns that my people might have."

"Fine, I understand. Give Rain my regards."

After her somewhat terse response, Meena promptly disappeared leaving Lucas alone in the communication room of his ship or almost alone.

"No tact as usual. That woman is hopeless." Rain mused while smirking in a corner.

"She really wants to join my crew. I have to admit, it's pretty flattering. Meena's one of the best."

"She wants to sleep with you and rub my face in it. The things I have to put with being your lover. At least Eleanor is honest."

"Can we please not do this right now? I've got enough on my mind."

"Whatever you say wolf." Rain casually acquiesced before strolling over to her boyfriend and wrapping her arms around him. "Feel better?"

"This is the best medicine."

"Is it really?"

"You are my personal panacea."

"Those wonderfully lame lines, I never get tired of them." Rain chuckled as his arms encircled her. "We'll get her back. For Nate's sake."

"I know."

The couple continued to hold each other for several minutes before finally separating. There was still a lot of work to do.

* * *

"Lynx, any updates?"

"Nothing new, we're-"

"Then why are you still standing around?! Get to work!"

After yelling at his far too understanding subordinate for the fifth time that day in the middle of a busy hallway within the Terminus Wolves' Den in Nos Astra, Nate immediately brushed past her in an effort to make his way to their intelligence center.

"They've got to be here somewhere." he furiously muttered while speeding past the other Wolves and Fangs who were anxiously observing him as he rushed by.

Many were still coming to terms with the newly revealed fact that he was the infamous assassin known as Ghost Fang, others were still trying to wrap their heads around the gossip that he was romantically involved with the woman they were all struggling to track down. Despite the frenzy of activity that was taking place across the base, curious whispers were still being exchanged between the nosiest soldiers.

"Damn it, we could be making more progress if you all actually did some work instead of running your mouths off behind my back!" Nate suddenly exploded in the middle of the hallway.

Silence immediately filled the corridor as a sea of eyes began glaring at him.

"He's right. Keep it moving. You can all discuss details about the clown's true identity and his relationship with the Shepard girl later over drinks after we get her back and fuck up a few pirates for screwing with us." Ray casually barked after appearing at his brother's side.

The tension was quickly broken when a few scattered laughs broke out and moments later everyone had returned to their assignments.

"Come here." Ray promptly commanded afterwards while grabbing Nate and dragging him into an empty office. Once they were inside, he shut the door and began examining his agitated brother.

"Get off me, Ray! I told you before, I'm fine! Now get out of my way! I've got work to do!"

Ray simply tossed him backwards after he made an attempt to leave while barring his path to the door.

"Rabbit's already on the case. He's following up on a lead that Adriana sent us. More importantly, you need to rest and we need to talk."

"I don't have time for this! Leanne's out there somewhere! Those pirates could be leaving the planet for all we know! Just get out my way! This may not matter to you but it's everything to me! You're big bad Ray and you hate everybody who's not part of the family or the Wolves, I get it! But you have no idea what it's like to love someone and have the entire galaxy be against you because of who her family is…Wait, Ray I didn't mean that, I-"

"No, keep going. You've probably been holding all this back for years while I've been dumping on you. Fair is fair, right?"

"Ray, I'm sorry. I know you and Grace-I'm sorry."

An awkward quiet settled in while Ray grabbed a couple of chairs from behind a desk and set them down. They both took seats afterwards and simply stared at each other.

"Your girl's a Shepard, Nate. Her family's a nuisance to plenty in our part of the galaxy but at the end of the day, they're still heroes. Grace had the misfortune of being conceived under the most horrendous conditions imaginable by a sadistic lunatic who victimized her mother. She's been carrying that stain all her life and living with the repercussions. You think I don't know what some of the other treasures say about her outside of earshot? What they think about me being with her? Call me out on anything, I deserve it. Anything except for that. You aren't the only one who's prepared to commit yourself to a woman who's despised by a bunch of idiots who can't shut up."

"Hearing you say that actually puts my mind at ease." Nate admitted. "But if you really feel that way, why'd you give Vince such a hard time?"

"Because he's a dumbass and deserved it. Relationships are about give and take. Vince was ready to walk away from everything-his home, job, friends, family, all of it for the sake of being with Angelica. And what was she giving up in return? Nothing. She would've happily dressed him up like some housebroken civilian and paraded him around like a glorified security guard who kept her house clean whenever she was off being an Alliance superstar. I'm not gonna pretend that part of me wasn't pissed about him hurting Liv too but that wasn't what it was all about. Seeing a guy you look up to, your big brother no less, forfeit his balls-It still gets to me."

"Is that how you really saw things? Geez, Ray."

"Alright, how did you see the situation?"

"I saw two people who were willing to try."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"I'll never understand you. I'm sure of that now more than ever. Why'd you keep all of this away from everyone?"

"It wasn't everyone. Mom, Dad and the twins always knew about my Ghost Fang persona. Lou found out at some point too but didn't tell me until after I joined up with you guys."

"Of course Mr. Perfect would figure out the truth. You know, you didn't have to hide it."

"Maybe not but…it was just easier Ray. Life is a lot simpler when nobody expects anything from you. I enjoyed wearing the mask and after Leanne broke things off, it helped me forget."

"Bullshit. You didn't forget a damned thing. That girl never left your mind. You know how many times you screamed her name while you were out of it?"

"I guess I can't lie to myself, can I? Ray, I just wanted to look after everybody without anyone knowing. I'm not big on being notorious."

"Could've fooled me and whether you like it or not, you're pretty infamous now. Nate, I'm an asshole and that's probably never gonna change. But I'm also an asshole who'll love his family no matter what. Keep that in mind whenever you decide to dick around in the shadows."

"We really are a screwed up bunch of lunatics, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but it's worth it."

* * *

"Shh! She's waking up!"

After being awoken by several playful whispers, Leanne slowly opened her eyes to discover a ceiling. She was lying across a bed inside a small room that was lacking any distinguishing features. There were no windows or vents and only a single door. After rolling over and sitting herself up, she also discovered a pair of unusual bands that had been placed on her wrists.

"Those keep you from using your omni-tool."

The statement came from a little boy who was staring curiously at her from the foot of the bed with another child who seemed to be equally inquisitive.

"She's pretty. Is she really a Shepard?"

"Yes, she is." a familiar voice confirmed.

Sitting in a small chair beside the door was none other than the young woman named Elise whom Leanne had met previously during her organization's pursuit.

"Now that she's awake, I think you two should leave. It's almost dinner time and if you're late again, Tobias will eat all of your desserts." she teased.

"Toby wouldn't do that!" one of the boys insisted.

"No but he might burn them if he doesn't have help." Elise warned.

"Okay, he would do that! Let's go!" the other boy shouted in a panic before bolting out the door with his friend.

Leanne caught a quick glimpse outside as they left and noticed a massive gathering of people who seemed to be preparing tables and setting up chairs in a large gathering hall.

"It really is close to dinner time. We're all getting ready to dig into Dad's famous jambalaya. It's always a treat." Elise pleasantly explained.

"I'm sure I'd be excited too if I weren't being held prisoner." Leanne scoffed. "What exactly are you planning to do with me?"

"We aren't planning to do anything other than hand you over to our clients. They're the ones who have an interest in you."

"And just who are these clients?"

"Trust me, it's better that you don't know. It's cruel what we're doing but-"

"Then why are you doing it?! You attacked me, my friends, Nate-Is he alright?!"

"I…I don't know. He had a run-in with Delilah after my brother carried you away and she's not known for being merciful."

"Nate, what did I drag you into?" Leanne whispered while growing teary eyed.

Before Elise could offer any words of comfort, the door to the room once again opened as an old dragoon wearing casual clothes entered with a bowl of homemade jambalaya and a couple of rolls.

"I'll take over Elise. Now that dinner is ready you should join everyone. A word of warning, Tobias singed the cobbler a bit but it still turned out alright."

"This happens every time it's his turn to help cook! You should've just let him make the salads! He can't screw those up!" Elise complained.

"Go easy on your brother. He wants to improve and he is trying. Believe it or not, he's actually making progress. For once we won't be ingesting charcoal due to his efforts." her father replied encouragingly.

"Ugh, I hope we at least have ice cream." Elise groaned before stomping off.

Once she was gone, Earnest the dragoon veteran and apparent leader of this particular faction of Forgotten pirates calmly took a seat where his daughter was previously positioned before glancing at Leanne.

"You're welcome to this whenever you're ready." he offered while holding out the jambalaya. "It's still quite hot though."

"Don't bother being nice. I'm a prisoner, right?"

"Does that mean I shouldn't be civil? I'll have to keep that in mind the next time we're holding someone for ransom."

"Why are you doing this? It's obvious you're not like some of the others in your group."

"I'm afraid we are like them. We may not revel in the destruction we cause or indulge in the more sadistic behavior of our brethren but in end, we're criminals all the same."

"It's not too late to change. Just let me go and I'll put in a good word-"

"I appreciate your misguided but genuine attempts at swaying me but I've already committed myself to this path. It's a road that I chose to walk long ago after the war."

"I don't get it. The Forgotten, you're all former Equinox soldiers. Why do this to yourselves? The rest of the galaxy already hated you, you've only made things worse."

"You just answered your own question, Miss Shepard."

Earnest then got to his feet and made his way over to Leanne's bed where he carefully set her meal down before returning to his seat.

"If it makes you feel any better, my wife and I plan to surrender ourselves to your father once this unpleasant business is completed. We haven't told anyone else yet for obvious reasons. He'll deserve to have his justice and regardless of our purpose, we are guilty."

"That won't make anything right and Dad would agree. He worked so hard to try and help you people after the war! I remember!"

"So do I. Ethan Shepard is a good man but only one man and not a politician. His efforts on our behalf always hinged on someone else's word and we had few friends after the war. Those were bitter days, especially for the naïve among us who actually tried to live respectable lives."

"What do you mean? You all jumped into piracy and crime the first chance you got! My father pushed to have legislation drafted, laws that would help all of you integrate back into society and what did you do? You made him look like a fool! He'd be an admiral right now if it wasn't for…then you go and kidnap me. I hate you!"

"And you should. As I said before, I won't make any excuses. But I want you to understand one thing, Miss Shepard. I'll do whatever is necessary to secure my children's future. I've already been a villain once before and I'll gladly wear the mantle again if I must."

"Don't hand me that fake selfless act and don't hide behind your children. If you hadn't bit the hands that were willing to help you, they'd all have better lives right now."

"Let me tell you a little story, Miss Shepard. A tale about an ex-dragoon who found himself aimless and alone after the war. Like all of his compatriots, he'd surrendered during the final days of the campaign. You see, they all made the unfortunate mistake of not dying along with the organization they'd served. They were all enhanced humans who hadn't been subjected to nano-fusion and the destruction of the ZEN had no effect on them. While celebrations erupted across the galaxy, these soldiers found themselves being imprisoned, interrogated and ultimately released into a galaxy that simply didn't want them to exist. They were an ugly reminder of what recently transpired and many were eager to forget the ruthless and chaotic days that had just passed."

Leanne wasn't in the mood for a sob story after everything she'd just been through but she decided to humor her 'host' anyway.

"One former dragoon decided to try and put his past behind him and live as a civilian. It proved to be a difficult transition for many reasons but the biggest was his inability to find stable employment. His only source of income came from working as a laborer on the various reconstruction projects that were being carried out across the galaxy. He found himself wandering from colony to colony, never staying longer than his jobs required. One of the first lessons he'd learned was not to linger. Once people learned the truth about his past…avoiding further conflicts was his only goal beyond survival. Eventually the geth and rachni offered their services in the restoration efforts and as wary as people were of synthetics and giant bugs, they were still more amiable towards the machines and insects than former Equinox soldiers. I suppose that says something about how the rest of the galaxy saw us. How much they already hated us."

Without realizing it, Leanne had picked up the bowl that Earnest had set beside her while listening to his story. She couldn't help but grow a little bit interested in his tale considering the history that was involved.

"With his source of work officially gone, the infuriatingly optimistic young man decided to travel to one of the few places where cheap labor was always in demand. The junkyard of the galaxy, Korlus became his next destination. He assumed that finding work in one of the recycling plants on the planet wouldn't be difficult and he was right. Better yet, nobody seemed to care about who he was or what he'd done in the past. The planet was already full of criminals, mercenaries, pirates and all around corruption. His history as a former soldier for Equinox was tame compared to that of others. For awhile he was actually at peace. Despite the long hours, backbreaking labor and the fact that he was barely earning enough to feed himself, he was actually happy."

"So what happened next?" Leanne asked before she could stop herself.

"He discovered he wasn't alone. One night during his usual walk home to his hovel, he caught a glimpse of a woman who was standing outside of a local bar. There was something familiar about her but he couldn't figure out what it was, so he decided to approach her. She immediately misinterpreted his intentions and thought he was attempting to proposition her…without paying first. After clearing up the misunderstanding the two of them talked for a few hours and learned of their mutual history with Equinox. She was a former phantom who'd fallen on hard times and was desperately trying to avoid her former colleagues who'd been tempting her to join their upstart pirate group. At that point the Forgotten as a whole was still in the infancy stages. Many former soldiers were still doing what they could to live respectable lives or as respectable as they could."

"What made you and your wife finally decide to join them?" Leanne asked bluntly. She had already figured out that Earnest and his wife Amber were the subjects of the story.

"Circumstances, Miss Shepard. Attacks by local thugs, extortion attempts from local officials to use our talents for their own benefit, lack of money, lack of food…a stillborn. Neither of us could take it anymore so we set out to become outlaws. The former soldiers who'd shared our struggles and tried their hand at living normal lives quickly joined us. Soon, our numbers swelled and we used that to our advantage along with our skills. We attacked supply freighters, kidnapped politicians and held them for ransom, smuggled and sold firearms and all while raising families aboard our ill-gotten vessels of war. We'd become everything the galaxy said we were and worst but our children never went hungry. They were born to criminals but not paupers and better still, they got to be born. It hasn't always been easy for them but there weren't any better alternatives."

"You might be right when it comes to the Alliance but what about outside of Alliance and Citadel Space? You said it yourself, you were on Korlus. That's in the Terminus Systems and you and I both know there's a man out there who may have lent you a hand."

"The thought had occurred to us, more times than I can remember. 'Maybe we could try our luck in the Nemean Abyss. The Terminus Hunter rules there, surely he'd sympathize with us. He gave the former Zodiac Commanders a second chance. Why not us?' Before we left Korlus to begin our careers as pirates, Amber suggested the idea almost daily. Unfortunately our hopes were crushed when another band of former Equinox soldiers flying the fledgling banner of the Forgotten attacked one of his ships. From that moment on, we became his sworn enemies and any chance we had at living in one of his domains was destroyed. It really is a shame. I once served under Commander Leo. He was always a good leader and an honorable one, a rare trait to have in Equinox. I wouldn't have minded meeting him again."

"I still don't understand. Setting aside my kidnapping, I find it hard to believe that a man like you would be a part of some of the more heinous crimes that the Forgotten have perpetrated over the years."

"I assume you're referring to the red sand trafficking, slavery and terrorism for profit. I may not be a good man Miss Shepard but I do have a certain code that I happen to live by and so do those who follow me. We're pirates not drug dealers, slavers or terrorists. That distinction may not seem like much to you but it separates us from the more loathsome of our associates."

"Then why are you working with the worst of them? Why are you cooperating with people like that detestable bitch Delilah? She and the others, they're horrible."

"For the same reason that I agreed to assist them in your capture. To ensure my family's future. This isn't the life that I want for my children or those of my friends. They deserve better and I plan to give them better, no matter the cost. Many years ago when my former comrades and I had all finally turned to piracy after failing to eke out a living for ourselves, we operated under many different flags. This allowed us a certain degree of freedom but also left us vulnerable to the more dangerous factions who prowled the outer reaches of the galaxy. The batarian raiders and yahg marauders were among the most dangerous. Neither group took kindly to having competition. In order to solidify our presence and better protect each other, we decided to merge into one organization. We all became the Forgotten. I knew full well who I was joining hands with but I did so anyway in order to better safeguard my people. I signed a deal with the devil Miss Shepard and recently I did so once more for similar reasons."

Leanne remained quiet for several minutes before eventually sampling the bowl of jambalaya that Earnest had brought for her. It turned out to be delicious just like Elise said. Once she'd finished, Earnest quietly approached to retrieve the bowl. The rather absurd thought of fighting him with the empty bowl and spoon briefly crossed her mind before disappearing just as quickly. Earnest projected a pretty imposing figure and had already demonstrated the fact that he was capable of taking on the best of the Terminus Wolves. After taking Leanne's bowl, Earnest made his way to the door where Leanne's next guard was already waiting to take over outside.

"Did she enjoy the meal?" Amber pleasantly inquired after entering.

"I think so. But it could've been courtesy on her part." Earnest replied before kissing his wife.

"It was good." Leanne informed them. "But you're both better than this."

Earnest turned briefly to look at her before shaking his head and leaving. Afterwards, Amber took a seat and began staring at Leanne herself.

"Earnest is good company, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is. He reminds a little of my dad."

Amber grew slightly saddened by her response but smiled warmly back at her nonetheless. She was an honest girl and very soon they'd be handing her over to the worst monsters imaginable.

* * *

"Adriana, are you sure?"

"Rabbit confirmed my findings when he went to investigate. They're using an incomplete landing area that popped up recently. It's the perfect place for them to make their escape. It's basically a private spaceport that Binary Helix began constructing to avoid paying docking fees and to keep eyes away from their deliveries and exports. They've grown even more secretive when it comes to their research during the past few years and their new CEO has been spearheading a lot of projects recently."

"How the hell does an army of pirates manage to gain control of something like that without a few corporate bigwigs like that guy finding out?"

"Who says they didn't?"

"What do you mean?"

"Lou, listen to me. Giselle, Shannon and I have been following threads ever since Mal put us on a certain credit trail. The pirates, the mercenaries, everything, it's all connected. Once you've thwarted the Forgotten, I suggest you head to Noveria. Giselle can tell you more but I think she might be in over her head. She needs help but for now focus on rescuing Leanne Shepard. I'm almost positive that the Forgotten are simply acting as go-betweens for the-"

"Arbiters." Lucas finished for her. "I'm gettin' real sick of those bastards."

"Lou, be careful. This is a lot bigger than we could've imagined and I'm afraid the conspiracy may extend far beyond pirates, mercenaries and corporations."

"Dad suspected as much." Lucas angrily agreed. "We may end up kicking down the Citadel's front door after all."

"At the very least, we'll have to arrange a few 'accidents' in order to curb this madness."

"I hear you Adriana. Watch your back and keep me posted on anything else you discover."

After bidding his friend farewell, Lucas prepared to leave the communication room of the Fenrir but before he could, ACE suddenly appeared at a nearby terminal in a panic.

"Lou! Rabbit is attempting to contact us from the Den! It sounds serious!"

"Put him through!"

A moment later, Rabbit's holo-form appeared with a dire look on his face.

"Bad news Boss Dog. The Forgotten have flown the coup. They hauled ass the minute I got a fix on their location. I've never seen that many ships take off at once. There is at least one bright side though. They're using mostly shuttles and transport freighters. You guys shouldn't have any trouble crippling them once they reach space."

"I'm afraid that assumption may prove to be a bit premature." ACE reluctantly cut in.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked after turning his attention to ACE's terminal.

"You should probably return to the bridge." ACE advised.

"I don't like the sound of this. Rabbit, I'll be in touch." Lucas quickly responded before ending his communication with Rabbit and departing the communications room.

After reaching the bridge he found his sister and Julian waiting for him with serious expressions on their faces as Grace briefed everyone on the situation that was rapidly unfolding across the Tasale System.

"I repeat, we've got incoming Tiburon Rojos fighters, three Forgotten battle cruisers and-What in the void? ACE! Can you verify these readings?"

"They're identical to the signatures we picked up from the arbiter ships that fled Lorek but stronger and on a much larger scale. Oh no, Grace this ship is almost the size of a dreadnought!"

"Get our weapons ready!" Lucas suddenly commanded. "And have our frigates ready to-"

"Enemy frigates just entered the system! Four Forgotten vessels closing in!"

Grace's announcement was immediately followed by a tremor that shook the bridge as the newly arrived ships began opening fire.

"The Forgotten ships that departed Illium are…this can't be right. They're heading for that arbiter monstrosity!"

"Well now we know why they waited so long to leave the planet. They were waiting for their ride and their client." Lucas angrily surmised. "Grace, have our frigates handle the Forgotten cruisers. I want them to split into two teams of three and each team targeting an enemy cruiser. We'll have to deal with the frigates ourselves."

"What about the fighters? And that dreadnought thing?" Olivia anxiously inquired.

"I want you to head to the communications room and make a call for me. I was hoping to avoid using _her_ but we're outnumbered and outgunned here and we can't let that thing escape."

"Lou, you can't mean-"

"Liv, I already know what you're gonna say but we don't have a choice. We need backup and fast. Now do as I asked while we still have time."

His sister gave him a slight scowl before departing while he resumed his command of the bridge.

"Who are you having her contact?" Julian asked out of curiosity.

"One of Dad's most dangerous tools and the most unpredictable. I just hope she takes the call."

With a battle already raging in space, the Hunters were about to face their greatest challenge yet.


	38. Chapter 38 Raising the Stakes

Chapter 38: Raising the Stakes

"The second enemy cruiser is down!"

"Good! Have our frigates reunite into one squadron and focus on the last one! ACE, can you slow down those damned Forgotten escorts?"

"Affirmative! I've successfully hacked into their navigation systems!"

"Grace, you know what to do!"

Before Lucas could finish his command, his pilot had already taken aim at one of the annoyingly fast enemy frigates that had been harassing their ship and opened fire with their thanix cannon, completely obliterating it.

"Alright, just three more frigates to go. Stay focused everybody."

"Lou, the Tiburon Rojos fighters are still swarming us and our lasers can't target all of them. The ship's armor is taking a serious beating."

"Grace! The arbiter ship is beginning to deploy its own fighters!" ACE frantically warned.

"Damn it! We can't hold off that many squadrons and three frigates!"

"We won't have to." Lucas calmly informed her as a new contingent of participants started to join the battle from Illium's surface. "I guess she agreed to help after all."

The horde of Tiburon Rojos ships were suddenly being engaged and destroyed by the recent arrivals as Eclipse fighters began closing in on the enemy vessels that were surrounding the Fenrir.

"I see. You had Liv contact the new leader of Eclipse." Julian calmly surmised.

"They are technically under our umbrella now. I still don't like the idea of dealing with Zelia but the situation is serious enough for me to set aside my concerns." Lucas responded with a hint of unease.

"It looks like we're getting reinforcements from more than just Eclipse." Grace cheerfully announced as fighters belonging to various private corporations began joining the fray from the planet's surface.

"I guess the pirates and arbiters are bad for business." Julian humorously stated.

"Another joke? That's the third one today. You and Liv must've had a good vibe going before this mess broke out." Lucas teased, slightly embarrassing his friend. "In all seriousness though, they aren't all against the arbiters. In fact, at least one dumbass company is in league with them and I'm pretty sure there are more."

"That's a serious accusation, Lucas."

"I know and I can't prove anything yet but I will once we hit Noveria. I'll be walking into a thresher nest."

"Perhaps but you won't be alone. I've already sworn that I'll follow you wherever your path leads and I meant it. Whatever comes, we'll face it together."

The two men quietly fist bumped each other as another tremor suddenly rocked the ship.

"Direct hit from the arbiters' secondary beam cannon thing! CBT offline! We're down to a standard shield array!" Grace shouted in a panic.

"I'm afraid our standard shields are no longer in operation either thanks to the three remaining Forgotten frigates. Their weapons are proving to be quite formidable." ACE informed everyone. "However, their recent offensive has left their systems vulnerable."

"ACE?"

"One moment Grace."

The synthetic electronic warfare specialist suddenly went silent after disappearing from his terminal in the cockpit before suddenly returning.

"There, try targeting the two portside ships once they're in range." ACE advised after reappearing.

Grace immediately followed his suggestion and tore through the vessels who'd wandered into the Fenrir's line of fire after ACE's expert hacking of their navigation systems.

"Grace and ACE, the perfect team." Lucas proudly stated causing them both to smile.

"Lou!" Olivia angrily called after stomping her way back towards the bridge in a rage.

"I can already guess what this is about." Lucas sighed as she rejoined everyone.

"That woman wants to have a word with you." his sister angrily informed him. "If she wasn't an ally and safe down on Illium, I swear I'd wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze until every last breath-"

"Liv, I got it." Lucas wearily interrupted while Julian placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort calm her down. "The bridge is yours until I get back."

Afterwards, he left and made his way to the communication room where he'd been spending far too much of his time recently.

"Zelia, thanks for the backup." he politely greeted after meeting eyes with the holo-form of a familiar asari assassin who was already watching him in amusement.

"Mmm, you look just like Mal these days." Zelia blissfully responded.

Lucas decided to set aside his discomfort in order to preserve their future working relationship. Whether he liked it or not, he'd have to get used to the idea of collaborating with the woman now that he was the new head of his father's organization.

"I get that a lot and so do my brothers."

"I'll bet you do. How's your girlfriend? She doesn't leave you hungry, does she?"

"We're fine, Zelia."

"Just fine? That won't do."

"Zelia!"

She released a chuckle after observing his agitation. "You're just like Mal. Or more specifically, how he used to be before he matured into the kingpin he is now."

"You don't say?"

"It's true. But you don't have to worry. Your father is the only one I have eyes for and I'm afraid I won't accept any substitutes no matter how cute or close to the real thing they happen to be."

Lucas responded by rubbing his temples in frustration while Zelia continued to observe him in amusement. "You might be setting yourself up for disappointment."

"Why? Your mother will be dead in a few decades. Unless you think…"

Zelia suddenly started to laugh and the slightly maniacal sound only served to unnerve Lucas even more. He simply couldn't fathom how his father managed to keep a handle on the slightly unhinged woman standing before him. She was obsessed, possessive and dangerous beyond words. Despite that, he was certain that she wasn't the most menacing of his father's associates. There was also Aria and whoever the other members of the Chaos Syndicate were. He still had a lot of people to meet and duties to get accustomed to. Filling the Terminus Hunter's shoes was a task that became more daunting by the day.

"Oh, that felt good. Little Lucas or should I say Big Lucas now? Doctor Zoral and that Virgo woman…they've both tested my patience far too often over the years. They're always so close to Mal and that complicates things but they can't always cling to his side."

The ominous statement only served to heighten Lucas' unease. He was fully aware of how intimate his surrogate aunts were with his father and how much they both loved him. The situation had proven to be somewhat strange when he and his siblings were younger but had somehow become normal as they got older. Taya's unseen presence in the background and Virgo's blatant displays of affection for her leader, they were hardly discreet and rarely failed to anger his mother.

"Zelia, can we get back to business?"

"Of course. But I happen to enjoy our little chats and we don't get to have them very often these days. As your future mother, I think it's important to build a certain rapport with all of you. You and your brothers are very dear to me."

"Right…I don't just have brothers-"

"A friendly word of warning, Lucas. If you require my assistance in the future, contact me yourself. The little girl you sent before was hardly charming and I was almost tempted to disregard her call and request. Such a foul mouth, just like her mother."

"But you ended up answering anyway, right? Dad would never forgive the fact that one of his _colleagues_ turned her back on his kids during their hour of need. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

The smile on Zelia's face shrunk slightly but her tone remained pleasant. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you in the future Mr. Beast of the Abyss, as a precaution of course."

"Be my guest, Zelia. Just remember that I'm not my dad. There are some things that won't stand with me. You keep that in mind."

The two underworld leaders continued to observe each other until yet another tremor shook the Fenrir, knocking Lucas slightly off balance.

"It seems you're still in a bind despite my help. You're setting a poor example as Mal's successor. He faced worse odds with far less resources when he was younger."

"The fight's not over yet Zelia and I'm just getting started." Lucas calmly responded while maintaining eye contact with the troublesome woman who was obviously testing him.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything on hand that could help deal with the dreadnought class vessel that's bombarding you right now."

"As long as your fighters keep us from getting swarmed, we'll be fine. More importantly, I've got a favor to ask."

"Another one? Mal is certainly going to owe me a great deal."

"Whatever, just listen. I need you to contact my brothers in Nos Astra…"

* * *

"Damn them!" Olivia shouted in frustration after almost being knocked over for the second time since she'd returned to the bridge.

Fortunately, Julian was close by and had already caught her just as he'd done before.

"This is why I find space battles to be so distasteful. I prefer my confrontations be face to face." he explained while holding her.

"I knew there was a reason you and I got along so well." Olivia replied while smiling.

The pair spent a moment gazing at each other before being shook back to reality by another, much larger vibration that rocked the ship.

"Grace, what's going on?!"

"A few of the arbiter fighters have breached our defenses and attached themselves to the hull of the ship. They're trying to drill their way inside!" Grace frantically explained.

"I'll do what I can to disable them before they can cause too much damage!" ACE quickly announced before vanishing from his terminal.

"It might be a little late for that." Grace quietly lamented. "We've got hull breaches in engineering, the crew deck and hangar bay!"

"Seal off those decks and send word to every soldier occupying them that it's time to clean house! In the meantime I want you to stay focused on that last frigate!"

"I'm on it!"

"I suppose Garr's meditation in the drive core will be cut short." Julian mused before grinning a little. "I pity those responsible for interrupting his quiet time. He really does enjoy his music."

* * *

As the Fenrir continued to wage war against enemy vessels across the Tasale System, several smaller scale battles were being fought on various decks of the ship where members of the crew were battling arbiter incursions that were being perpetrated by nimble, surprisingly lethal intruders who'd made their way inside.

"How annoying!"

Zel'me quickly vented her frustration with the current situation that was unfolding across the crew deck by immobilizing a small group of arbiter forces inside a stasis bubble outside of the infirmary before promptly executing them with a Firefly submachine gun.

"What exactly are they doing up there for our defenses to have been compromised to this extent?"

After voicing her discontent, she made her way outside where even more skirmishes were taking place. The krogan soldier Jarax and a few of Ray's other subordinates were already engaging another mob of arbiter invaders. After fortifying their armors with Foucault Currents, the squad of unruly soldiers barreled into their opponents while utilizing their shotguns, eventually clearing the hall entirely.

"Weak. I could've stayed asleep." Jarax complained afterwards.

"Somehow I doubt that, especially with the nuisances that have been arriving recently. I hope you and your friends aren't too groggy. We still have more work to do." Zel'me casually explained as more creatures poured in from a large, crab shaped structure at the end of the corridor.

* * *

The fearsome sound of a yahg roaring seemed to be shaking the entire engineering deck even more than the actual clashes that were occurring there. Garr was normally a peaceable individual who wasn't prone to unnecessary conflict in spite of his race's reputation. However, he'd been in the middle of listening to one of his favorite songs while relaxing inside the ship's drive core room when arbiter forces suddenly began swarming the engineering deck. Based on the bodies that were littering the hallway outside of his sanctuary, it was pretty safe to assume that he was at least a little angered by the intrusion and the interruption of his reflections.

"Thorn! How many more are there?!" Garr demanded after crushing an unwitting arbiter into the wall with his riot shield.

"Not sure! Never seen eight-eyes this mad before! You strong when you mad!"

After giving Garr his version of a compliment, the young vorcha engineer trapped a nearby arbiter assassin with an electrified submission net before swiftly executing the creature with a shot from his Spark Surge heavy histol. Meanwhile, his companions went into frenzies as they carved their way through the remaining interlopers using their omni-claws. As agile as the arbiter intruders were, they were no match for a squad of vorcha who were in the middle of bloodlusts. After the final trespasser fell, everyone took a moment to catch their breaths.

"How despicable! To disturb a man's musical contemplation-It's simply unforgivable!" Garr raged.

"Get mad at that thing. It dropped them off." Thorn casually replied while pointing out the crab-like construct that had suddenly appeared from inside a massive hole that led into a storage area.

"I believe I will." Garr angrily agreed before reshaping his riot shield into a glove that began crackling with electricity. "Pierce my flesh and shatter my bones but under NO circumstances will I allow the defacement of my musical interludes." he snarled.

* * *

"Are you and the girls alright, Sonia?"

"Uh, yeah."

Sonia and the other members of Olivia's squad were still in a mild state of awe after witnessing Rain's vicious dismantling of the colossal crab-shaped construct that had breached the hangar bay. She was still holding an expended Hyperion heavy weapon and surrounded by a small horde of dead arbiters who'd all been killed by a flurry of her biotic orbs.

"Good. I don't envy the unfortunate soul who's on cleanup duty later."

"With my luck, it'll be me." one of the Amazons humorously lamented.

"Cheer up, Sidney. Everyone will chip in." Sonia assured her.

"You mean everyone except for Liv and Julian. They'll probably both be busy. Again. Together." another member of the squad joked, soliciting a few laughs.

"They're so cute." Rain mused before smiling.

She almost allowed two sudden explosions in the hangar to catch her off guard as another pair of crab-like constructs tore their way into the ship.

"Damn! My Hyperion is still cooling down!"

"Well mine's not! Get clear!" Sonia shouted.

After Rain shot across the room using a biotic charge, Sonia promptly fired her own heavy weapon and completely destroyed one of the newest hostiles while the second took to the air and opened fire on everyone present using a series of energy beams. As they all took cover behind shuttles and storage crates, the construct began depositing more of the nimble arbiter infiltrators who quickly closed in on the Amazons. The creatures were immediately sucked into a singularity that Sidney created in the center of the hangar where her squad mates quickly opened fire with a variety of particle weapons. Any arbiters who weren't killed in the ensuing barrage were quickly wiped out when the singularity exploded a few seconds later. The explosion also knocked the crab construct from the air and damaged its kinetic barriers.

"Well done."

Rain's compliment was immediately followed by her taking aim at the newly grounded monstrosity with her Hyperion from across the hangar.

"Wait a moment, Rain!" ACE's voice suddenly shouted.

Before anyone could comprehend where it had come from, the construct began vibrating rather violently as if it were about to detonate but eventually grew silent and simply fell silent while slumping to the floor. ACE had somehow deactivated the troublesome machine.

"That was close! I think this may come in handy for Lou's plan." ACE cheerfully stated after appearing at a terminal by the elevator near Rain.

"What kind of plan?" Rain asked suspiciously.

"Um, well, I'm not technically supposed to know about it but I, um, well I overheard him talking to an asari associate in the communication room. I only caught part of the conversation but he mentioned using a shuttle and-"

"ACE, be a dear and tell me exactly what my infuriating boyfriend is planning this time."

The request was made as politely as possible but ACE was fully aware that it was in fact an order, an order that he'd be wise to obey.

* * *

"All enemy incursions have been dealt with. The ship's decks are officially clear of hostiles. I'll have to buy the boys a few extra rounds later." Grace happily announced.

"I'll do one better and get them all a few bottles from my personal stash." Olivia cheerfully added causing Julian to shake his head in exasperation.

"They'll survive this mayhem only to be killed by your alcohol, how appropriate."

"And how would the tiger suggest I reward them? What would you ask for?"

"Something I doubt you'd offer on a whim."

"Is that so? Now you've got me curious."

Without realizing it, the pair had drawn closer to each other while the entire bridge glanced in their direction.

"Sorry to cut in but it looks like that arbiter dreadnought is preparing to leave." Grace announced while suppressing a smile after peeking at the duo herself.

Olivia and Julian immediately separated and avoided making eye contact. After clearing her throat, Olivia prepared to give her next order but was interrupted by the return of her brother who appeared to be in a much better mood.

"Grace, give me a status update."

"The final Forgotten frigate and cruiser have both been destroyed and our shields our back to maximum capacity. Our CBT emitters have also been restored thanks to our emergency repair crew."

"Only vorcha could brave the vacuum of space in the middle of a battle and pull off a job like that. I'll make sure those guys get a bonus later." Lucas thoughtfully stated. "Alright, we need to stop that dreadnought thing and proceed with the next phase of this operation. ACE, I want you to-"

"I know, Lou. I overheard your discussion with Zelia earlier."

"I'll be sure to get mad at you later." Lucas joked. "So, do you think you can do it?"

"I'll try but I should warn you, arbiter technology is still a mystery to me. I've studied the data we have on their gauntlets and formulated a few theories on their ships based on the readings we picked up after the Lorek campaign. Even if my assumptions are half accurate, this will still be a dangerous undertaking. Should I fail, you'll all perish and…if I were to survive I'd never be able to face Mal or the others."

"ACE, I trust you. I'm not a gambling man but right now, I'm tossing everything on the table. We can't let the arbiters and Forgotten escape and we can't risk harming Leanne by assaulting their ship directly. Do what you can and I'll handle the rest. Okay?"

"I understand. Grace, take us in closer to the arbiter dreadnought."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't know why but yes. One more thing. Lou, instead of a shuttle use the gift that our intruders left in the hangar. I've already reprogrammed it and set the course."

"I will and thanks ACE. Be careful buddy."

After taking a moment to glance at ACE and then Lucas, Grace reluctantly accelerated the Fenrir towards the colossal warship in the distance. As she got closer, the Fenrir's shields were once again pounded by particle beams from the enemy ship. Luckily the CBT emitters held and while the enemy continued their assault, ACE quietly disappeared. His absence was noticeably longer than usual and during his time away, the Fenrir's shields were once again destroyed and the endurance of the ship's armor was being put to the test yet again when a new string of energy beams began assailing it.

"We're really getting our credits' worth out of that silaris plating." Olivia nervously stated as the Fenrir shook violently under the abuse of the enemy barrage. "We'd be dead a million times over if we had that standard ablative garbage."

"You're right. We're also lucky that the arbiters' weapons seem to revolve around weaker, rapid firing energy based weapons that bypass shields. Their strategy appears to focus heavily on inflicting swift direct damage to a ship's hull while ignoring kinetic barriers." Grace explained.

"And yet they've completely destroyed our shields twice. Why is that I wonder?" Julian calmly pondered.

"Because of the durability of our armor. Each time they failed to penetrate our hull and annihilate us, they've switched to an alternative energy weapon that inflicts enormous damage to our shields instead. I doubt it's actually an energy weapon at all. I suspect that this is a measure they've adopted to keep us on the defensive while their primary weapon that targets armor recharges. I have to admit their choice in armaments is baffling. They must know about mass accelerator and thanix cannons, yet they've chosen not to utilize them or even replicate them. It's like they're saying our weapons are wrong." Grace continued.

"Ironically, our weapons have actually held them off so far. Our cruiser is facing down their dreadnought. That's gotta hurt." Lucas joked.

"Well, we also happen to have ACE and I doubt that dreadnought is their best." Grace reminded him.

Before they could continue their discussion, ACE suddenly reappeared at his terminal. "Lou…it's done…I think…"

The weary sounding synthetic's statement was clarified once Grace picked up the readings from the arbiter ship after its bombardment suddenly ceased.

"This is incredible! Their thrusters appear to be offline and I'm guessing their FTL capabilities are too. And their weapons! ACE, you're amazing!" Grace exclaimed.

"Won't…last for long…Lou…you have to go now. Be careful…that ship…it's not…it's more than what it seems…not a machine…not really…need to go offline for awhile…"

"Rest up pal, you did your part. Now it's time for me to do mine." Lucas announced.

"LUCAS MASON HUNTER!"

The furious roar came from the direction of the elevator and Lucas recognized it almost instantly.

"Crap, she used my full name. That's not a good sign." Lucas muttered before turning to face his irate girlfriend. "There's my Rain Cloud. I missed you-"

"Don't you dare try to sweet talk me! I heard about your little plan! What the hell are you thinking?!" she shrieked, scaring everyone on the bridge witless.

She was rarely seen angry and even then it wasn't as bad as what was being witnessed at that moment. Her furious tirade continued until she reached her boyfriend after Julian and Olivia wisely cleared a path for her.

"EXPLAIN, NOW!"

"Yeah, about that-Gotta run!"

Without looking back, Lucas darted from the bridge using a biotic charge that quickly delivered him outside the elevator past a star chart where he frantically attempted to summon the lift.

"Come on, come on! Hurry up, damn it!"

"Going somewhere?"

The carefully restrained anger permeating Rain's beautiful face after she caught up with him using her own charge was enough to cause Lucas to surrender.

"Okay, I give. But can we discuss this in the hangar? Like it or not, someone's gonna have to take this job Rain."

Several minutes later, Lucas found himself in the hangar bay along with several other members of his crew while Rain continued to berate him.

"Of all the reckless, stupid-Are you even listening to me?!"

"Always but I'm still doing this." Lucas casually responded while strolling around the deactivated arbiter construct that ACE had taken out of commission earlier. "Yeah, this could definitely work."

"LOU!"

"Rain, calm down." Olivia gently suggested after approaching. "What exactly is he planning?"

"Go ahead, tell her!" Rain raged.

"It's not a big deal. I'm just gonna take this thing, fly it into the arbiter dreadnought, disembark, find and rescue Leanne, sabotage the dreadnought's weapons and shields and then head back here so we can finish it off." Lucas carefully explained.

He ignored the stunned silence that filled the hangar while continuing his examination of the alien vessel lying on the floor.

"Lou, this had better be one of your jokes."

"Sorry Liv but I'm dead serious. My original plan was to use a shuttle under stealth once ACE crippled the dreadnought but our synthetic guardian angel left me with something even better. This thing won't have any problems infiltrating their ship."

"This is a bold plan Lucas but also dangerous. Rain is right to be concerned. You shouldn't attempt something like this alone." Julian cautioned.

"Who said anything about being alone? You're coming with me."

"Alright but we should hurry while the enemy is still disabled."

The casual exchange coupled with the fact that Julian offered no opposition to going with Lucas and had even joined him in examining the arbiter construct quickly sent Olivia into her own downward spiral of fury.

"Are you crazy?! Neither of you are going anywhere! You hear me Lou?! You're heading back to the bridge and we'll figure something else out! But you're not leaving and you're not taking my Julian, I mean our Julian, everyone's Julian-Damn it! He's not going anywhere either!"

"Liv, I don't have time to argue with you. Julian and I have the most experience fighting arbiter troops. He's also our strongest soldier and I need him with me."

"GODDAMN YOU!"

"Liv, Lucas is right and I'd prefer to be the one accompanying him on this mission."

Olivia spent the next minute fuming before eventually calming herself down after meeting Julian's eyes.

"Julian…I want you back here. Do you understand me? I want you back here…"

"Liv, once I return I'd like to have another drink with you. So save me a bottle."

"You stupid-Fine, just make sure you come back."

Lucas couldn't help but smile while watching his sister and friend gaze at each other. "See Rain? You should take a page out of Liv's book and-"

His statement was promptly cut short after Rain leapt into his arms and kissed him so passionately that he almost fell over.

"Listen to me wolf. I still haven't decided the other places we'll visit during our vacation but I've got plenty of ideas. I want your opinion on them once you return. Damn you for always putting me through this."

"I'll see you soon Rain Cloud. Count on it." Lucas assured her before planting a kiss on her forehead.

After taking a moment to hold her, he gently returned Rain to her feet before turning his attention back to the arbiter vessel. He circled the bizarre craft once more before finally identifying a switch near the base of the body. Once he flipped it, a hatch opened and inside laid the fleshy interior of the strange crab-shaped transport.

"This may have been enough space for a mob of those dead arbiter ninjas but it looks like there's just enough room for two superhumans. I hope you're not claustrophobic, Julian."

"I can't say I'm fond of cramped areas but I don't fear them either and I have experienced worse in the past while traversing underground tunnels during my pursuit of pirates on the more barren planets that occupy the Attican Traverse."

"I wouldn't mind hearing about it sometime. I've got a few stories myself."

The two men once again bumped fists before carefully squeezing themselves inside of their new ride along with their weapons. The moment they did so, everyone cleared the hangar bay as the doors opened and the arbiter vessel took flight. After watching them leave while standing in the armory, Olivia released a sigh.

"Why is it that the ones you love always cause you the most grief?"

"Is that question in reference to Lou or Julian? Either way, you'll get used to it. And it could be worse. The other fools could be joining them."

As if on cue, they both received a hastily composed message on their omni-tools within seconds of her statement.

" _By the way, we're meeting Nate, Ray and Vince inside. Love you and see you soon."_

"Do me a favor, Rain. Punish that idiot when he gets back and make sure it's good."

"Oh, you can be certain Lou will be getting disciplined later. Depriving him of a few pleasures for awhile should teach him a valuable lesson…"

* * *

"Good, you've finally arrived. I was starting to get bored."

"Cut to the chase, Zelia. You mentioned Lou having a plan earlier so hurry up and give us the details. We know there's a battle going on right now and we'd like to hurry up and join our brother and sister."

Vince, his brothers and the rest of his squad had just arrived at a small Eclipse storage depot located in Saefos Valley, one of Illium's most popular vacation locales. They'd been contacted by the Eclipse leader at the behest of Lucas who had apparently formulated a plan for infiltrating the massive arbiter ship that was now occupying the Tasale System and holding Leanne Shepard captive.

"I'd be careful of my tone if I were you, Vincent. I've never cared much for you and your survival is hardly a priority for me." Zelia casually responded with a slight edge in her tone. "I also find your arrogance rather obnoxious, especially for a man who's suffered a recent demotion. From Mal's right hand to a common shock trooper, Nemean Enforcer indeed." she mockingly added.

"Zelia, the plan." Nate prodded before the verbal altercation could escalate.

"Nate. Dear, sweet, charming Nate. You're too much like Mal. He made the unfortunate mistake of getting mixed up with a Shepard in the past too and I'm sure you're all aware of the consequences. A brush with death at the hands of a legend and a bastard daughter who will never really understand him no matter how hard she tries. She's such a pitiful girl."

"Is she always like this?" Meena irritably inquired.

"Don't ask me. This is the first time I've actually met her in person." Dylan casually responded.

"That goes for me as well. I've heard her reputation is quite sordid." Zeke calmly added.

"Can we get on with this? My brother needs to save his girl and I need to pay a few pirates back for messing with both of them." Ray angrily stated.

Zelia took a moment to examine the group before gracefully turning and leading the way further inside her people's installation.

"It seems Mal's treasures have all matured quite well. I've caught a glimpse of the others who reside on Illium and those who've passed through. You've all grown into a formidable power base. That makes certain people nervous. People who may prove to be a danger to the Terminus Wolves in the future. I suggest you all remain vigilant and do whatever Mal's detestable twins advise in the days ahead."

"Insulting my sisters is a bad idea." Ray warned.

"Why? Are you going to attack me Raymond? Helpless, little, old me?"

"I don't have to. Layla and Sasha will and you'll never see it coming. The fact that you even mentioned them means you already know what they're capable of. You're not that hard to see through when it comes right down to it. You've spent years screwing with Liv and Angelica using petty taunts and provocations. But you never once said a word to my younger sisters' faces, have you? Because like everyone else, you know better."

Zelia suddenly stopped after they reached a tarmac in the center of the depot that lead to a large set of doors on the opposite side of the compound. Afterwards, she turned around and calmly walked towards Ray who stood his ground. Once she was close enough, she jumped up and hooked her legs around his waist before placing her hands on his face and whispering into his ear.

"You aren't too big for me to discipline. I've castrated krogan who were more fearsome than you little boy. And you're far from being necessary, even the demoted adoptee has more value. Nate is the killer, Lucas is the heir apparent and the baby will rise above you in a few more years too. Your filthy sisters have their uses as well despite how irksome they are. Do yourself a favor and continue pretending that you matter. The more you believe the lie, the happier you'll be."

After delivering her message, she gently kissed Ray's cheek before dismounting and returning to her feet. Ray remained stone-faced but Zelia could tell that she'd gotten to him. Satisfied with her denigration, she diverted her attention back to the others.

"Lucas is planning to infiltrate the arbiter dreadnought in order to rescue the Shepard girl. By now he's likely already left assuming everything went smoothly on his end. He asked me to assist you with a similar endeavor."

"Wait, he what?!" Vince spluttered.

"Lou, NO! We have to follow him, NOW!" Meena screamed in a panic.

"Shit, he really does have Mal's genes. We'd better hurry." Dylan sighed.

"Agreed, we can't afford to lose another Hunter. Especially a man like Lucas, such a loss would be regrettable to say the least." Zeke concurred in an uncharacteristically urgent tone.

"Zelia, we have to hurry. I know my brother and he won't waste any time. He'll make his move as soon as he has an opening." Nate anxiously explained.

"Lou, you dumbass." Ray quietly whispered.

"If you're all quite finished with the dramatics, I happen to have a means for you to carry out your operation."

Once she'd gotten everyone's attention, Zelia signaled a few of her commandos who were standing around a mystery aircraft that was draped under a tarp. Her subordinates quickly removed the cover, revealing a slightly battered Forgotten shuttle that still bore visible signs of battle damage on the exterior.

"Behold, your key to accessing the arbiter dreadnought undetected."

"How did you manage to get your hands on this thing?" Dylan asked in confusion.

"She's Zelia. Getting her hands on things she's not supposed to have is one of her talents. Lucky for us it's working in our favor this time." Vince explained.

"We've talked enough. As long the damn thing still flies I don't care how she got it. Now let's go!" Meena ordered.

"I'm with Meena, we can't afford to waste any more time. Lou's gonna have an army of arbiters and pirates standing between him and the girl. Facing down mobs is my job." Ray urgently added.

Zeke hadn't bothered to comment on the situation and instead climbed into the cockpit of the vessel where he promptly took the controls. "It's time we departed."

"Good man. Let's go!" Vince commanded before leading the way inside the shuttle.

"Leanne, I'm on my way. Lou, be careful and keep her safe for me if you can." Nate whispered to himself before quickly joining the others.

Once everyone had boarded, the doors in front of the tarmac began opening. After the entryway was clear, the stolen pirate vessel rose from the ground and shot off from the depot, leaving a thoroughly amused Zelia in its wake.

"Your boys are certainly interesting, Mal. I'll work hard to be a mother they can all depend on." she chuckled before strolling off.

* * *

Deep inside the fleshy interior of a certain dreadnought class vessel, a small army of Forgotten pirates were escorting an uneasy young woman towards another senior member of their organization. The mystery man was awaiting her arrival with a squadron of red arbiters and his own forces at the end of a massive antechamber. After reaching the stranger, Leanne caught a glimpse of his visage and recoiled slightly at what she saw. The man standing before her was missing half of his face and an eye, all of which had been replaced with cybernetic prosthetics and synthetic skin grafts. He also had a prosthetic arm of remarkable quality that he hadn't bothered to try and hide. The grey appendage clearly stood out from his magenta colored armor and she could tell that it was far more than simply a replacement for his lost limb after taking one glance at it.

"Leanne Shepard, one of the precious scions of the legendary and heroic Shepard family. I bid you welcome." the stranger loudly greeted in a derisive tone.

He then made his way towards Leanne and slowly reached out to touch her face with his artificial arm which was quickly grabbed by Earnest.

"Enough, Blaine. We've brought her as agreed. I think it's time we concluded this so that my people and I can be on our way."

The enigmatic Blaine simply smirked at his contemporary before backing away. "As you wish Earnest. I'll have my time alone with her once you and your followers have departed. I do owe her family a great deal of retribution or more specifically her father. It's actually rather funny. Here I stand with the last remnants of my brethren aboard an alien ship full of creatures that my fellows and I were forced to bargain with thanks to the state the Terminus Wolves left us in. But do I hate the Hunters? Of course, we all do. But my true rage, the source of all my contempt will always be her father. Her sickeningly self-righteous father who saw fit to-"

"Blaine!"

"Right, I keep getting carried away and we do have business to complete. Come along Earnest. I see you only brought the children who are old enough to hold a gun." Blaine continued while observing Elise, Tobias and the other youths who were part of Earnest's entourage. "No trust in your allies?"

"As if we'd ever trust you. Now quit stalling."

"Ah, Amber. As lovely as you are rude. Very well, we should hurry. The ship recently suffered a series of malfunctions that are no doubt the handiwork of the Terminus Wolves. I don't know what they're planning but I'd rather not risk anything. Leanne and I can get better acquainted later after the arbiters have extracted what they need from her."

"What do you mean? What are they planning to do with her?" Elise suddenly asked before she could stop herself.

"Are you curious? It's actually quite fascinating. Our pretty little Shepard happens to hold a certain brilliance that's fairly rare and very soon our new friends will have it and I'll get to have what's left of her once they're finished. If I happen to be feeling generous, I may even send her father whatever remains after I'm through. I'm sure that'll wound him and her infuriating grandfather to the point of despair. Given recent events, I imagine it'll actually destroy them." Blaine explained before laughing grimly.

"What do you mean?" Leanne demanded.

Blaine ceased his laughter the moment she spoke. "My meaning is simple. Your family is in for some tough times and they've already begun."

His tone sent shivers down her spine but she maintained a stoic front. She had no idea how she was going to escape her captors or who the mysterious aliens on the scene were but she was certain of one thing. She wouldn't go down without a fight.


	39. Chapter 39 Betrayal

Chapter 39: Betrayal

The atmosphere across the arbiter ship was tense and Leanne couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that had taken hold of her since she'd arrived. The inside of the unusual dreadnought was abnormal and unlike any ship she'd ever been on. The interior wasn't metallic like most ships, in fact, much of it seemed to be flesh-like with the occasional lining of what she could only assume was a type of shell or bone. To make matters worse, the strange alien creatures who were patrolling the hallways of the vessel seemed to exude a sinister aura and she found herself hearing whispers inside her head whenever she passed them in the corridors. The Forgotten forces who were standing guard in the occasional odd corner weren't helping with her sense of unease. The ominous smirks that a few of them directed at her were actually worse than the blatantly contemptuous glares that most had chosen to adopt. Then there was Blaine's personal entourage. A small army of menacing soldiers and biotics who went out of their way to try and scare her while leading the eerie procession that was likely leading her to a fate worse than death. They whispered among themselves and laughed, loudly enough for her to hear, recounting all of the heinous things they'd done to their enemies in the past and what they expected they'd get to do to her after the aliens were through. The details were graphic and Leanne found herself wishing that she could be anywhere else at the moment. She wanted to go home, to see her parents and family, to hug her baby cousins and play around with the others. She had put up a brave front but she couldn't change the fact that she was scared and worried. Blaine's earlier statement about her family, she couldn't ignore it. Something horrible had definitely happened during her absence and she had to figure out a way to escape and get home in order to discover what it was.

"Don't let them get to you." Elise suddenly whispered before gently taking hold of Leanne's hand.

As bizarre as it was, Earnest's faction of pirates were the only thing keeping her safe at the moment. They were the ones surrounding her, walking alongside her and shielding her from the more murderous emanations that their despicable colleagues were radiating. It was a small solace in a very bleak abyss. Eventually the retinue of pirates and aliens reached a large, circular chamber that had several doors positioned on the outer reaches which presumably led to more restricted areas of the ship based on the security measures that were protecting them. Strange kinetic barriers were barring access to them but they'd apparently reached their intended destination based on Blaine's behavior and that of his alien cohorts.

" **You will remain here while we take the girl."**

The announcement pounded inside the heads of everyone present as one of the strange creatures in red approached Leanne. As it approached, she took a step back and bumped into Amber who gently placed a hand on her shoulder before reluctantly pushing her forward while shutting her eyes.

"If there is a god, may he have mercy on our souls." she whispered before suddenly pulling Leanne into a hug. "Don't ever give up, Leanne. No matter what happens."

Before Leanne could question her or voice objections over the fact that her kindly captors were now handing her over to monsters, the towering alien figure quickly grabbed her arm and began dragging her away. Elise was still holding her hand and didn't let go until the very last moment.

"I don't like this, Dad. I don't like it at all." Tobias angrily stated while standing beside his father.

"Neither do I." Earnest admitted while observing Leanne being hauled off.

His family and forces continued to watch until the alien disappeared behind one of the sealed doors after deactivating the barrier that had been protecting it. The last thing they saw of Leanne was a three fingered hand shoving her inside the entryway.

"Now that that's settled, I think it's time we completed our little transaction. Earnest, why don't you have your kiddies ready the shuttles while the adults divide the payout. Our hosts and their corporate vassals have been quite generous."

Earnest hated complying with any suggestion Blaine ever made but it was standard procedure at that point and he was eager to leave the arbiters as soon as possible. He and his people still needed to formulate a plan of escape once they departed. The Terminus Wolves would undoubtedly be watching the dreadnought for any signs of trouble and they also had to make arrangements to pick up the children that they'd left behind on Illium.

"Elise, Tobias, take your teams and head for the hangar. Prepare the ships for departure and await further orders."

"Dad…this feels wrong."

"Elise, go. We can make amends later."

His children and the other young people accompanying them were reluctant to leave but ultimately did so out of respect for him and his wife. He'd watched them all grow up and had a hand in raising them in addition to leading their parents. After observing them leave, Earnest turned his attention back to Blaine who was already casually awaiting his arrival in the center of the chamber while his own subordinates lined the perimeter.

"Getting soft in your old age? Well, softer." Blaine taunted as Earnest approached with his own people.

"Spare me your petty insults. Let's hurry up and finish this. Have the arbiters agreed to our terms in regards to the security of our people?"

"Of course. The Forgotten will be left in peace once they begin their invasion. We'll be spared from the both the Terminus and Citadel offensives while the rest of the galaxy burns. Well, those who don't surrender or submit that is."

"Fine, then let's divvy up the resources that they've paid and be done with it. I can send word to my children and the others to begin loading the cargo once we're finished.

"Always straight to the point, Earnest. I like that about you." Blaine casually mused. "Tell me, do you also happen to be curious about the fate that's going to befall Miss Shepard?"

"The less I know, the better."

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I enlighten you a little to pass the time. We still have to wait for an emissary from the arbiters to arrive before we can begin dividing and authorizing the transport of their payment."

"I despise you."

Blaine appeared to be thorough unfazed by both the remark and the cold glare that followed it as Amber stared at him from her husband's side.

"You'll likely end up hating yourselves much more before it's all said and done. You care about her, don't you? She reminds you of your own daughter and the other brats you've raised over the years. It's a shame you've betrayed her and sentenced her to become an empty shell. A shell I'll gladly defile the moment it's presented to me. The arbiters and I both appreciate your complicity."

Earnest remained silent and immediately grabbed his wife's hand which had instinctively reached for her monomolecular blade. Blaine was trying to provoke them, force them to make a mistake but he was also stalling. Something was wrong.

"What do you mean?"

"Earnest, you must've had an inkling or at least a suspicion. We've all experienced it in their presence-The way they wheedle their way into your head. It's a lot like what the Reapers used to do from what I've heard but also different somehow. Of course, it can go further. Much further."

"Explain what you mean, NOW." Amber demanded.

"I mean they can influence but also extract. Take our lively captive for example. Leanne Shepard isn't just a fetching young member of the new generation Shepards. She's a technical genius with an intellect that rivals professors who are at least twice her age. She has an understanding of hardware and software that goes beyond being merely superlative, it's instinctive. Not even the best among the quarians, salarians or even the geth can match her abilities. She's not just a prodigy, the girl is a pure artist when it comes to manipulating tech. And that makes her useful for the arbiters and their masters. They've been studying us for decades, even before the Alliance's Task Force Aurora and Shepard stumbled onto them. Biotics, technology, the myriad of genetic variances across this cycle's dominant species, they've been researching everything. Our strengths, weaknesses but most importantly the tools that we use. The best way to have a full under understanding of your enemy is to know exactly what they know and how they think, that's especially true when it comes to humanity. We represent the biggest mystery-A multitude of genetic diversity and an adaptability that's only rivaled by our perseverance. Of course our kind, enhanced humans and superhumans, add an even deeper depth to the enigma."

Silence swept across the room following Blaine's explanation as Earnest, Amber and their followers processed everything that had just been said.

"Leanne Shepard…you still haven't told us what will become of her."

"Don't kid yourself Earnest, you know exactly what will happen. Once they've emptied everything of use from our lovely little gift, they'll have an even more comprehensive grasp of our tools and methodology. And after they're finished, nothing will remain other than a brain dead vessel that I'll be taking with me."

"Bastard!" Amber finally exploded while drawing her blade.

"What have you done?!" Earnest snarled after extending his whips.

His entourage quickly followed his lead and drew their weapons while Blaine's subordinates pulled out theirs. However, they weren't alone. The arbiters in the room were beginning to surround Earnest and the others while readying their gauntlets as more of their soldiers arrived to assist.

"Did I forget to mention that I offered you and your people as a bonus? We're all enhanced humans after all. We represent valuable research material but I'm not really suited to be a test subject."

"Mark my words, Blaine. You're going to die before this day is over. Perhaps not by my hand but you will fall."

"Bark all you want, Earnest. It won't change anything." Blaine calmly responded before turning to leave.

He immediately began making his way towards the room where Leanne had been taken earlier. As he did so, gunfire quickly erupted behind him. "And don't worry. Delilah, Flora, and Shar will take excellent care of your children." he quietly added before laughing.

* * *

" **Sit."**

The terse command from her alien escort did little to persuade Leanne. After having been dragged inside of a small well lit room full of fleshy pustules and a chair that appeared to be lined with tendrils, Leanne had decided to make her move.

"I can't. My leg was injured when those pirates were chasing me on Illium and they never bothered to treat it. If you want me to take a seat, you'll have to carry me over."

The alien creature spent several seconds staring at her as if it were contemplating her statement before finally reaching down to grab her. The moment it did, she made her move. She swiftly sidestepped her captor and leapt onto his back before locking her legs around its neck and tightening her grip. As the alien fell over, she squeezed even harder until the faint sound of a snap echoed inside the empty room. After getting to her feet, Leanne quickly scanned every inch of her surroundings and discovered a small vent in the corner of the room behind the chair she'd been ordered to sit in earlier.

"Okay, I can do this." she told herself before taking a few panicked breaths. She then raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her face and noticed one of the restraint bands that she was still wearing. "I forgot about these things. I won't get far without a gun or access to my omni-tool."

In a moment of frustration, she banged the devices together and was stunned when they suddenly fell off. She couldn't believe her luck but then recalled the embrace that Amber had given her before they'd been separated and her final words of encouragement.

" _Don't ever give up, Leanne. No matter what happens."_

"Did she actually-"

Before Leanne could ponder her former captor's actions any further, the sounds of fighting suddenly rang out in the chamber outside.

"I don't know what's going on and I'm not eager to find out. It's time for me to leave."

After gathering her resolve, she promptly made her way to the small vent and removed the shell-like grate covering it before getting on her hands and knees and crawling inside. She had no idea where the shaft beyond it led but anywhere would be better than where she was. Moments after she'd gone, the door to the room opened once more and almost immediately afterwards a roar of unbridled fury filled the area as a certain pirate leader discovered her escape.

"You won't get away. I've waited too long for this and sacrificed too much to let it all slip away now." Blaine quietly ranted while stroking his prosthetic arm.

* * *

"Elise, behind you!"

Her brother's warning came just in the nick of time as Elise ducked beneath an enemy phantom's sword strike and opened fire with her submachine gun. After executing her would-be assassin, she quickly turned her attention to the rest of her team. They were all engaging Forgotten pirates, former allies, who were now attacking them without mercy across the corridors of the ship.

"It's a double-cross! I knew we couldn't trust Blaine! We have to help mom and dad!"

After gunning down a trio of engineers who'd attempted deploy turrets to bar their progress, Tobias quickly cloaked as a pair of arbiter proletarians made their advance from the other end of the hallway where they were fighting. He then fired several disruptor rounds before tossing a pair of sticky grenades that attached themselves to his targets and exploded. After reappearing, he began laying cover fire for his sister and their friends.

"This is bad! It looks like Blaine isn't the only one who turned on us! We can't fight the whole ship!"

"Tobias, above you!"

The squad of red proletarians jetting through the air towards them was a bad sign of things to come.

* * *

" **Executioners…engage…"**

The dying words of a nimble but doomed arbiter assassin were quickly stamped out, literally, as a large boot crushed its oversized cranium. The man to whom it belonged had just wiped out a sizeable contingent of the creatures after arriving in a small docking area where his commandeered ride had deposited him and his equally dangerous friend.

"Julian?"

"Yes, Lucas."

"Why are they red now?"

"I'm not sure but these were of a different variety than the forces we faced in the past. Their appearance is identical to that of the intruders who arrived on the Fenrir."

"I thought it might've been a fluke. They remind me of Forgotten phantoms without the cloaking ability. Oh, and apparently they've got energy blades. We're in for some fun times, aren't we?"

"I suppose we are. At least we'll have a few more stories to share later."

After grinning at his friend, Lucas began leading the way towards the end of the docking area where he hoped to discover an elevator or some other means of getting deeper inside the ship. The trek was eerily quiet and the fleshy interior of their surroundings made both men uneasy.

"The mighty Beast of the Abyss, the new Mercenary King of Cartagena and Ruler of the Nemean Abyss, stomping his way through…Damn, I don't even want to know what I just stepped in. Plus it stinks like hell. Rain won't want to touch me for at least a week after this. Sometimes it's rough being me."

"Is it? I had no idea the fame, wealth, adulation from our peers and undying devotion of a beautiful woman presented such enormous stress."

"The funny man strikes again. You're on a roll today. Liv's really loosened you up for the better."

"I do find myself laughing a lot more these days, especially when I'm in her company which doesn't seem to be often enough."

Lucas promptly came to a stop before turning to his friend. "Julian, normally I try not to stick my nose into stuff like this but Liv's important to me so I have to ask, what's the deal with you two?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on. Everybody on the ship can see it. The two of you flirt back and forth constantly, you're always looking at each other when you think no one else is watching and you spend practically all of your free time together. Are you gonna ask her out or what?"

"I…don't know. Liv occupies my thoughts more and more each day. When I'm not with her, I find myself thinking about her and when I'm asleep, she wanders my dreams. I've tried to dismiss these feelings, bury them and banish my thoughts of her but I can't and there lies the problem."

"Would you care to elaborate? Because I'm not seeing the problem here."

"I promised Liv that I'd be a friend she could rely on and now I find myself wanting more than just friendship. It wouldn't be right for me to place the burden of my selfish desires on her now that she's come to depend on me. There's also Mal…I gave him my word that I'd look after her. If I were to pursue something with his daughter-"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there. Dad would be the least of your worries. He loves you Julian and you dating Liv would probably make him ecstatic. In fact, that's probably what he wants with him being the scheming old dog that he is."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, just listen. If you like Liv, then I say go for it. You wouldn't be burdening her by confessing how you feel, trust me. She's crushing on you just as hard, I can tell."

"That might be partially true but what about her feelings for Vincent? He was her first love and I find it difficult to believe that her affections have simply vanished, especially now that he's returned."

"Ah, so that's what this is really about. You're worried Vince will show up and ruin everything once you get started."

"Can you blame me? Who's to say her old fondness for him won't be rekindled once they see each other again? Jealousy doesn't suit me, Lucas. It's an ugly color."

"Yeah, but we all wear it at least once in our lives. Julian, Liv will always love Vince but she won't always be in love with him. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's over him thanks to a certain tiger. I think she's waited long enough, buddy."

Julian took a moment to consider Lucas' words before finally nodding. "Perhaps you're right and so is Garr. I've wasted enough time hesitating."

"That's the spirit. Now let's get going so we can rescue Nate's girlfriend and make this a perfect day for pairings. A big brother's work is never done."

Julian couldn't help but laugh a little and feel a bit happy that Lucas considered him a brother. After resuming their walk, the duo eventually reached the end of the hangar bay where a bizarre cage made of shell and bone awaited them. The strange contraption that vaguely resembled a lift was positioned inside of a vertical shaft that only went one way-Up.

"I hate this ship already. Let's go." Lucas sighed.

Both men entered the unusual elevator and once they were inside, a flesh colored door shut behind them as the lift began rising.

"We didn't even choose a floor or input any sort of commands. In fact, I don't see a control panel anywhere. How do you suppose the arbiters operate this mechanism?" Julian pondered.

"I have no idea but we'd better learn fast. There's no telling where Leanne is and we can't afford to waste time getting lost."

"I think that may be inevitable. We don't have any intelligence on this ship or its layout. Whether we like it or not, we're running blind."

"Only until we find a Forgotten pirate and 'persuade' him or her into giving us directions." Lucas casually responded. "You still remember how to apply the right pressure to nerves, right?"

"Of course but we will have to keep someone alive in order to employ our interrogation techniques."

"There's always a catch." Lucas quipped after the elevator came to a stop. The sounds of gunfire and explosions were already echoing in the distance. "It sounds like someone started the party without us."

"Could it be the others?"

"Let's find out."

Both men pulled out their Lumina assault rifles and departed the lift. They were about to stumble into the first of many surprises.

* * *

Leanne wasn't sure how long she'd been crawling through the dank, slimy, putrid smelling tunnel that had served as her escape from imminent death but after suppressing the urge to vomit for the fifth time since making her getaway, she suddenly found herself falling through a grimy opening that expanded without warning beneath her. She ended up plummeting a fairly long distance but was lucky enough to have something break her fall. After carefully getting to her feet, she quickly noticed that she'd in fact landed on a Forgotten phantom who'd been patrolling a deserted corridor, presumably while cloaked.

"Serves you right."

After giving the dead woman a swift kick, she began removing her armor and weapons and equipping them herself, with the exception of the monomolecular blade.

"What would I do with a sword?"

Once she was geared up, she began hacking into the Forgotten's communications using the dead phantom's helmet.

" _This is Ravage Six. We've got Earnest and Amber pinned in the primary chamber but they're doing a lot of damage. We've already lost half our guys in here and the arbiters are taking damage too. What's the status on their brats?"_

" _This is Ravage Twelve, we're engaging them now but-OH SHIT! Requesting immediate backup! I repeat, request-What the hell are they even doing here?! Damn it, Ravage Eight is down and so is the rest of my team and the arbiters! They're coming for me now! It's the Beast of the Abyss and the Crimson Tiger! Somebody help me! HELP-"_

Leanne was able to draw two conclusions from the panicked final words of the unfortunate pirate who'd likely just been killed. The first was that the Forgotten were now fighting amongst themselves which didn't surprise her. It was only a matter of time before Earnest and the others ended up at odds with their colleagues. The second was that Lucas Hunter was onboard the ship and probably searching for her. His alias was famous across all corners of space and she had learned of it even earlier before he'd become well known thanks to Nate.

"Lou's here. I have to reach him. If I could just make contact somehow. The comms! But they're probably using different frequencies. Wait, I can still do it. He just killed the guys who were attacking Elise and Tobias, so if I make a few adjustments, I can tap into their comm. frequency and contact them! It's a long shot but it's my only hope."

"Then I'm afraid you don't have any, little girl."

The voice came from the end of the corridor where a familiar and infuriating woman brandishing a submachine gun and a monomolecular blade was casually approaching with a pair of her fellow phantoms and a small squad of troopers.

" **You will submit."**

The sudden pressure inside Leanne's head caused her to look in the opposite direction where three red arbiter proletarians were standing. She was trapped but she wasn't about to give up, not when a glimmer of hope had finally arrived. Without hesitation, she quickly summoned her combat and defense drones before transforming her omni-tool into a longbow.

"Bobo, Sara, it's time to put this bitch and her friends down. Execute Protocols Mojave and Sylphy."

In response to the commands she'd just given, her oversized combat drone suddenly expanded to the size of a krogan and barreled towards the arbiters who were taken by surprise. Meanwhile, her defense drone floated above her head and transformed into the shape of a halo.

"This is Shar. I've found the girl and it looks like she wants to play. I hope you don't mind if I rough her up a bit. Don't worry, I'll leave her breathing…probably."

After reporting her status over her comm. line, the veteran phantom focused her attention on Leanne and licked her lips in anticipation. Opportunities to kill members of the Shepard family were rare and therefore worthy of savoring.

* * *

"Y-You're-"

"Lucas Hunter, nice to meet you. I guess."

"I can't believe this. You're the Terminus Hunter's heir, his successor, the new king-"

"I know who I am, kid. Now why don't you try explaining who you are and why your own people and the arbiters were attacking you and your friends."

Elise and Tobias could hardly believe the situation despite having witnessed it. Only moments earlier their squad had been surrounded and was being overrun by arbiters and enemy Forgotten. Then without warning, the two men currently standing before them had arrived and wiped out their attackers in the blink of an eye. Afterwards, both men had opened their visors, revealing a pair of incredibly notorious faces. Lucas Hunter bore more than just a passing resemblance to his brother Nathan but was far more physically imposing and intimidating. He also seemed to radiate a confidence that only added to his already impressive presence. It wasn't hard to picture him leading an army, space station, planet, company or anything really. They could only imagine what his father was like. His friend was equal in stature and no less menacing but more subdued. The Crimson Tiger was well known in underworld circles and rumored to be one of the top tier members of the Terminus Wolves. His recent display definitely supported that assumption.

"I, uh, right. We're not really sure why they attacked us but I'm sure Blaine is behind it. They've probably cut a deal with the arbiters behind our backs, those bastards." Elise fumed.

"I'm worried about Mom, Dad and the others. Leanne too. We never should've left them alone with him." Tobias lamented.

"Leanne? You know where she is?" Lucas prodded.

"Yeah, we do but the path is full of-"

"Lucas, this is our chance. We can rescue Leanne Shepard and deal with the leaders of the Forgotten all at once." Julian suggested.

"What do you mean 'deal with' and don't try lying to me!" Elise demanded.

"I wasn't planning to. What my buddy means is that we're going to kill every senior member of your shitty pirate organization and completely destroy whatever's left once we've got Leanne. You asswipes have cost us a lot and I mean a LOT. Invading Heshtok, contributing to Leon's death, kidnapping Nate's girlfriend, collaborating with the arbiters, the list just goes on and I'm sick of it. This all ends today."

"We didn't have anything to do with the Heshtok invasion! As for Leanne…I can't defend what we've done but it never sat well with me." Elise fervently explained.

"Oh yeah, I really believe you."

"Go to hell! You don't know anything about us or what we've had to endure! You stand there like a god judging us just because you were luckier than we were! I don't care if you believe me, just help! Help us save our parents! Please!"

After making her outburst, Elise dropped to her knees and continued to plead with Lucas.

"Lucas Hunter, you're welcome to hate us. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't but I'm begging you, our parents are good people regardless of what they think of themselves. They only ever did what they felt they had to in order to care for us and the others. I'm not saying it's right or that they aren't guilty but they're good people. Good people who were never given a second chance. Please, we can't save them alone."

After saying his piece, Tobias dropped to his knees as well and every member of his squad followed suit and voiced their own pleas.

"Don't let them die!"

"You can kill us if you really want to after you save them!"

"They don't deserve this!"

"Shut up!" Lucas shouted in frustration before folding his arms. "And get off your knees, it's embarrassing for everyone present."

The squadron of youths quickly obeyed and returned to their feet while staring back at Lucas who appeared to be considering the situation.

"Let's get one thing straight, I don't trust any of you. But I do believe you love your parents and people capable of evoking that kind of devotion can't be all bad. So here's the deal, you're all gonna lead me and my buddy to the last place you left Leanne. Once we get there, we'll clear out anything and anyone that's attacking your parents. After that, we'll see what happens."

With the rest of their forces scattered across the ship fighting for their lives and little in the way of immediate backup, the pirate youths reluctantly agreed to Lucas' terms. He had a reputation for being ruthless when it came to his enemies but also for being a man of his word.

"Alright, let's go. But promise me something Lucas Hunter. If you see Blaine, kill him. He double-crossed us, tried to murder our family and he threatened Leanne. I don't want to see him make it out of here alive." Elise angrily explained.

"I don't know who this guy is but if he's hassling Leanne, he's a dead man one way or another. I'll either kill him myself or…"

* * *

"What is this?!" Nate raged while exchanging fire with Forgotten pirates and arbiter proletarians in red armor.

"Helluva reception, wouldn't you say?" Dylan shouted between gunfire while assisting him.

Their group had just arrived in the shuttle bay of the arbiter dreadnought and stumbled onto a firefight between two factions of Forgotten pirates and a group of arbiters. They'd decided to direct their aggression at the pirates who were actually working with the arbiters for the time being in order to simplify the somewhat chaotic state of affairs.

"We don't have time for distractions!"

After roaring her agitation with the skirmish that was delaying them, Meena darted across the area using a biotic charge and slammed into the most heavily armed Forgotten troopers and detonated her barrier, sending them all sailing into the air where she quickly executed them with her Lumina.

"Don't use any direct biotic attacks against the arbiters, the bastards will just absorb them!" Ray warned everyone while laying down suppressive fire against the ominous creatures. "Why the hell are they red now?"

"No 'direct' biotics, huh?" Vince mused. "So basically, no energy attacks. Got it."

"I think we should be a bit more concerned with that particular handicap, Vince. These creatures have some rather formidable kinetic barriers protecting them." Zeke cautioned while assisting Ray's machine gun bombardment with his own. They were both coming dangerously close to overheating their Meteors but still hadn't managed to destroyed the arbiter proletarians' annoyingly durable shields.

"Then we just strip them. I needed a boost myself anyway." Vince casually responded before departing the cover position they'd all taken behind their newly arrived shuttle.

The moment he caught sight of the arbiters, he began draining their already damaged shields and fortifying his own in the process. Once their defenses finally fell he modified the beam of his Lumina with a warp effect and opened fire, tearing through their stubbornly resistant armor in short order.

"Okay, so they have trouble dealing with tech attacks and biotic reinforcement. That's good to know." Vince calmly noted after the final proletarian fell.

"I could've handled that. They haven't managed to block my hammer yet." Ray insisted after rejoining him in front of the shuttle with the others.

"And what would you have done if they'd broken through your tech armor and barrier? You're not invincible, Ray. I won't stand aside while you learn that the hard way."

"You know what? Fuck you! You show up outta nowhere lecturing me on how to fight when-"

"Ray! That's enough! Don't forget why we're here." Nate interrupted after getting between his brothers. "And Vince has a point. Those things were a lot tougher than the ones we fought on Heshtok. It looks they swapped more than just their armor color."

"Perhaps you should consider this development later. We must still decide what to do about them." Zeke placidly suggested while pointing towards the group of Forgotten soldiers who were carefully approaching them from the rear of an enemy shuttle.

"Uh, thanks-"

Before the lead trooper could finish offering his gratitude, he found himself being hoisted into the air by his neck after Meena made her way over in a rage.

"This worthless trash is why we're here in the first place! We should kill them all now and be on our way!"

"Meena!"

The shouts came in unison as the majority of her companions attempted to stop her while the young soldier's allies took aim at them. The moment they did, Vince overheated their weapons with a sabotage causing them to backfire and burn their hands. After they dropped their guns, he took aim at them with his Lumina.

"Let's all just settle down. There's obviously a lot that we don't know about going on here."

"Meena, calm yourself." Zeke serenely advised while holding his irate colleague.

It had taken considerable effort on his part to get her to release the young trooper she'd seized. Her unfortunate victim was now sprawled across the floor and coughing while his friends looked on in concern under the watchful eye of Vince who still had his weapon aimed at them.

"This just isn't your day, is it fellas?" Dylan quipped.

"Apparently not." the struggling young trooper coughed. "First we get double-crossed by Blaine, his followers and the arbiters. Now it looks like we'll be killed by the Terminus Wolves. Damn it! Earnest, Amber, Elise, Tobias, everyone…they could be dead for all we know!"

"Elise? So she's here too?" Nate mused.

"Friend of yours?" Ray suspiciously inquired.

"Not really and it's not what you're thinking. We met during the chase on Illium. Actually, I remember seeing this guy too. You were with Amber, right?"

"Yeah. The name's Pierre. I know this may not be the best time but sorry about that whole-"

"You can offer an apology later after I've gotten Leanne back. Whatever condition she's in once I find her will determine whether or not I decide to accept it or kill you all." Nate warned him.

"I guess that's fair. Listen, if you're planning to rescue her then maybe you could help our friends. They're all probably fighting on the control deck near the primary chamber, that's where they took Leanne. I wish we'd…well it's too late for regrets now."

"Can you give us directions?" Vince suddenly asked.

"Are you insane?! This scum is the cause of all our problems!" Meena raged while struggling to escape Zeke's grip. "Thanks to them, Lou had to get involved! I swear, if anything happens to him I'll personally tear you all limb from limb and feed you to-"

"Hush now, angry one." Dylan playfully whispered while covering her mouth. "Pierre, right? Point us the right way and we'll see what we can do but our top priority is finding Leanne Shepard and joining our boss."

"I understand. This may not mean much coming from me but good luck and be careful. Blaine is a monster and he's probably the one who has Leanne if the arbiters haven't taken her yet. He really hates her family, especially her father."

"Why?" Nate anxiously asked.

"I don't know much but apparently he used to be an overlord during the war. At some point he fought Ethan Shepard and it didn't end well for him."

"Fucking great. Some pathetic ghost from the past trying to get revenge. Can't the Shepards kill anybody properly?" Ray scoffed.

"This is bad. Mal used to tell us stories about those guys, remember? A lot of them sounded like sadistic psychopaths."

"Vince, we've gotta move."

"Right, let's go. Pierre, give us the details about the layout of this place. And Nate, don't worry. We'll find her."

Vince wanted to reassure his little brother but the truth was, he had no idea what to expect once they caught up to Leanne. There was also the fact that she was likely being held captive by an overlord veteran. They had already been bested by both dragoon and phantom vets, facing one of the formerly elite among Equinox's biotics would be no easy feat. Especially one who'd faced Ethan Shepard and survived…

* * *

Deep within the heart of the arbiter dreadnought, a colossal figure donning purple armor with a circle imprinted on his chest was calmly levitating inside a pillar of energy while mentally communing with his subordinates across the ship.

" **Forgive us, Regulator. The rogue pirates are proving to be more stubborn than anticipated. We've also confirmed that a few Terminus Wolves have boarded. Members of the Hunter Dynasty are among them including their new leader."**

" **Has Oracle been disturbed?"**

" **No, he's still hibernating. Should we-"**

" **We will deal with this ourselves. There's no need to wake him. I've almost completed the repairs to Arana. Once she's fully operational, I will take measures to purge our intruders.**

" **What about the Shepard?"**

" **Extraction from a living vessel would be preferable but swift procurement of her corpse should still yield what we need as long as her brain remains intact."**

" **Understood. Should we begin deploying the Gen Threes?"**

" **Yes, I think it's time for my brethren to join the battle. We are dealing with the best of the Terminus Wolves, including their young king. Let's see just how formidable he really is."**

The moment he'd finished relaying his commands, the conversation ended and the colossal figure resumed his unknown work within the pillar of energy while a pair of purple arbiter suppressors patrolled the chamber that he was occupying with their shoulder cannons at the ready. Very soon their fellows among the proletarians and controllers would be dispatched and the struggles aboard the ship would undoubtedly intensify.


	40. Chapter 40 The Hunter Boys

Chapter 40: The Hunter Boys

"When I get my hands on Blaine…"

"One thing at a time my love. We still have to slaughter his remaining lackeys and find the children."

The brief exchange between husband and wife was immediately proceeded by both executing a pair of their former ally's troopers while the rest of their entourage continued to exchange fire with the arbiter proletarians in red who were strafing the battlefield from above using the jets in their armor. Their aerial energy bombardments were becoming increasingly costly for Earnest's group and also preventing them from escaping the chamber where the fighting was taking place.

"The arbiters are trying to maintain their distance. Smart but also infuriating. They know our strengths well."

"Remaining outside the range of our blades and whips is a surprisingly cautious strategy for them but still futile."

After making her remark, Amber quickly tossed a cluster grenade into the air towards a squadron of their flying aggressors and promptly cloaked afterwards. The resulting explosion sent several proletarians plummeting to the ground where she was awaiting them with her monomolecular blade. Her swift evisceration of the hostile troops after reappearing at their crash sites drew the ire of a powerful enemy reinforcement who'd just entered the fray from behind one of the sealed doors of the chamber that was now open. A controller in red who was being accompanied by a small squadron of proletarians and a suppressor sporting purple armor all took aim at her after joining the battle.

"Amber!"

Without thinking, Earnest began rushing towards her position while firing on the enemy reinforcements with a submachine gun. He knew he'd never reach her before they could but he'd at least draw their attention. After emptying his thermal clip, he quickly latched onto the red controller and pulled the creature towards him with a biotic lash. The inside of his head started to erupt in pain the moment he did so and only got worse as his target got closer. Once the controller was in range, he pulverized the monster with a biotic smash. After killing what he believed to be the most dangerous threat on the battlefield, he was almost torn apart when an energy sweep grazed his barrier and wounded him in the process. The purple suppressor was already firing at him and the rest of his people and causing a great deal of havoc in the process.

"What manner of monster is this?"

" **Eradicate them now. We must still deal with the Terminus Wolves and the Hunters."**

The suppressor's words were burning inside the heads of every human in the chamber and Earnest found himself struggling to stand. His barrier had barely been brushed by the behemoth's energy cannon but had been destroyed nonetheless while his armor had been seriously damaged. The blood rushing from his wounded midsection was a bad sign. While struggling to treat it with medi-gel, he quickly found himself blasted backwards by another energy blast to the chest that mangled his armor even further. Everywhere around him his forces were being cut down, people he'd known for years, people he considered friends and family. As he laid on the floor battered and on the brink of death, he couldn't help but feel that he'd earned his fate.

"I suppose that archaic saying holds some truth after all. You really do reap what you sow."

His regrets about his life and the actions that had led him to that moment seemed to culminate with the appearance of a proletarian in purple armor that was rapidly descending on his location while preparing to open fire at close range. The creature was immediately halted by a decoy that suddenly shocked it with a bolt of electricity moments before a monomolecular blade pierced its chest.

"That may be true but it's not time for our harvest just yet."

Amber's timely arrival did little to lift her husband's spirits. If anything, he wanted her to escape with those who were still alive while there was still a chance.

"Amber, go. This isn't the end I want for you."

"I could say the same so shut up and let me protect you."

He didn't have the time or strength to argue with her. The suppressor had already taken aim at both of them and the proletarians had their remaining forces pinned down near the entrance of the chamber. It really did seem like the end until two immensely powerful particle beams fired from a pair of Hyperion heavy weapons interrupted the suppressor and destroyed its shields.

"Mom! Dad!"

The familiar and welcome voices of their children instantly got both veterans' attention as Elise and Tobias suddenly arrived with their own teams and two very surprising allies.

"Lucas! We must move now before it can restore its kinetic barrier!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

What followed next was a rapid execution of teamwork between two of the Terminus Wolves' finest. Julian directed an electric slash at the oversized walking artillery that tore across the room, momentarily stunning it. Before it could recover, Lucas hammered it with a biotic charge before promptly pulling out his Advent shot gun and firing a string of warp laced particle rounds at close range. After piercing the suppressor's armor in several places, he finished it off with a fully charged shot to the creature's cranium, killing it before it could attempt any extrasensory attacks. Once it was dead, he switched to his Lumina and opened fire on the proletarians that were still swarming the surviving members of the Earnest and Amber's group from the air. As the airborne threats all hurdled towards the ground after having their jets damaged by his shots, they quickly fell victim to Julian's monomolecular blade and an assortment of explosives from the pirate youths who were accompanying him. Within minutes the chamber had been cleared of enemies, if only temporarily.

"Dad! Are you alright?!"

"Those injuries look bad. We should hurry and administer the medi-gel."

"Elise? Tobias? How-"

"Later, Dad! Right now we have to patch you up!"

The old dragoon vet quietly complied with his children's wishes while his wife assisted them. They weren't alone in their medical endeavors, their friends were dispensing similar first aid measures to the other members of their faction across the area while being carefully observed by the mysterious companions who'd accompanied them. After everyone was treated, they all regrouped in the center of the chamber where Lucas and Julian retracted their visors and took a good look at the pirate leaders standing before them.

"I see. You're Lucas Hunter, the Terminus Hunter's-"

"Let's not get into that again old man. I've already made my introductions to your children. Do me a favor and tell me where Leanne is."

"I'm afraid we don't know. She was taken inside one of the rooms in this chamber but apparently escaped. Blaine rushed out of here in a fury during the early stages of the battle after discovering she was gone. She could be anywhere on the ship by now." Amber explained.

"You're making my decision on whether or not I should kill you a whole lot easier." Lucas warned.

"Indeed. Under normal circumstances I imagine they'd all pose quite the challenge but they are wounded and likely exhausted from the fights with their former colleagues and the arbiters." Julian mused.

"NO! You can't! We won't let you do this!" Elise screamed in a panic before drawing her gun.

Her brother and friends followed her lead but immediately found themselves dangling in the air after Lucas detonated his barrier and sent everyone skyward. A few seconds later they all came crashing back down to the floor where the young leader of the Terminus Wolves already had his shotgun aimed at Earnest while Julian's blade rested beneath Amber's throat.

"I'm giving you your first and last warning. Don't try that again." Lucas advised them while keeping his eyes trained on the veteran leaders.

"So you expect us to stand here while you murder our parents!"

"We won't stand for this!" Tobias added in outrage.

"Elise, Tobias, all of you, that's enough. He has every right to want us dead given everything that's happened. Lucas Hunter, I'll be more than happy to offer you my head but only after I've done what I can to rectify our mistakes. All I ask is that you give me that chance, that you give us that chance." Earnest pleaded.

Lucas continued to eye him before carefully putting his shotgun away and signaling Julian to do the same with his sword. "I'm gonna assume you had good reasons for doing what you did and I'll admit, you and your kids aren't like the other pirates we've run across over the years."

"We had a purpose, that's true. Whether or not it was valid depends on your perspective. I won't try to justify our actions but there were circumstances that led us here and you should know what they are…"

Earnest spent the next few minutes explaining in great detail why he and his colleagues had turned to piracy in the first place, how they'd ended up as part of the Forgotten and more importantly why they'd agreed to assist in apprehending Leanne Shepard. He also chose to divulge what they knew of the arbiters' plans for both an invasion and why they'd specifically targeted Leanne for abduction.

"…so it appears their ultimate goal isn't just galaxy wide conquest but also to gain a complete understanding of our technological prowess and biotics. That may have been why they pursued Professor Graham as well."

"Graham? Isaac Graham? Don't tell me they snatched him too."

"No, I'm afraid they didn't. He was killed during their attempt at capturing him."

"What? Isaac Graham is dead? Leanne's uncle? One of the Shepards?"

"Lucas, this could pose a problem. If they're willing to kill the targets of their kidnappings-"

"I know Julian, we've gotta find Leanne and fast. Damn it. Professor Graham was Angelica's favorite uncle. He used to teach her about biotics when she was a kid. He was a nice guy, always friendly whenever we met and genuine too. How am I gonna break this to Leanne?"

"With a gentle hand, Lucas. It won't be easy but revealing news like this never is."

After taking a moment to process everything that had just been revealed, Lucas and Julian resumed their discussion with Earnest and the others.

"Can you all move now?"

"Yes, I think we're all fit enough to fight. If you'll allow us." Ernest responded honestly.

"Yeah, I will. You're all gonna help clean up your mess, understand?"

"And what happens afterwards? Will you kill us?" Elise demanded.

"Do you want me to?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then shut up and do what you're told for the time being." Lucas commanded. "I'm not a politician and I was barely a newborn when the war was raging but my parents told me stories about the trials they had to face and the battles they fought. How despicable Equinox was and the crimes they committed. They stole my big sister while she was still an embryo and tried to do the same thing to me and my siblings while our mother was still carrying us and even after we were born. They sounded like wholesale bastards and I can understand why people would hate anyone that has a connection to them. Even so, my best-loved uncle and aunts are products of their research and so is my father. Former Zodiac Commanders were my favorite teachers and they gave birth to the woman I love with all my heart. You all got dealt a shitty hand and you only made things worse. But I get it. You did what you had to in order to survive. I'm not excusing your crimes but I understand. Once this is all over we'll talk about what comes next."

"Are you saying-"

"I'm saying we'll talk, Elise. Alright?"

The young woman simply stared at him in a mild state of disbelief before her brother finally responded for her.

"Lucas Hunter, you're a good man I think."

"No, I'm not. I just don't want an army of enhanced human pirates prowling the galaxy for the next three centuries. You guys may not live as long as us according to Virgo but twice the lifespan of an ordinary human is still long enough to be a pain in the ass."

"You have our gratitude young one. More than you can imagine." Amber added in appreciation.

"Don't go tripping over yourselves to thank me. I haven't actually done anything yet and we still need to survive the escape from this ship to actually get things in order and find Leanne before we do."

"Lucas, this may be impertinent of me to say but I approve. Libra would sometimes tell me of her concerns regarding the Equinox soldiers who weren't abhorrent sociopaths during our lessons. She was concerned about the fates that had befallen them, whether they'd been killed off during the war or subjected to nano-fusion with the ZEN. I think she and Leo will appreciate your generosity towards their former subordinates." Julian sincerely explained.

"I haven't done anything yet." Lucas reiterated in exasperation causing Julian to smile.

"No, but you will."

Afterwards both men turned their attention back to the former Forgotten standing around them. "I wonder what Dad will have to say about this?"

* * *

"You're doing pretty well for a frail little tech specialist." Shar taunted after taking another swipe at Leanne with her blade.

Their battle had been going on for several minutes and didn't appear to be ending anytime soon. Leanne had been fortunate in lowering her aggressors' numbers so far thanks to her drones. Bobo had stripped the trio of arbiter proletarians of their shields as soon as the fight started and exploded once they'd targeted it, killing them in the process. Sara was still forming the shape of a halo and preventing Leanne's remaining foes from getting too close with near constant sparks of electricity that were wreaking havoc on their barriers and shields, with the exception of Shar whose barrier seemed to be unnaturally durable.

"I seriously hate you people."

After voicing her frustration, Leanne blasted Shar backwards with a concussive arrow from her omni-bow before reshaping it to the form of her omni-tool and setting fire to a pair of phantoms who'd attempted to close in on her in spite of the electrical surges that were emanating from her defense drone. She maintained her fire stream until both women fell before firing a cryo blast at the troopers who were shooting concussive rounds at her. After freezing them, she pulled out a heavy pistol and shattered their remains with a few well aimed shots before directing her gun at Shar who had already recovered from her previous attack.

"That actually knocked the wind out of me. Well done. Did your granddaddy teach you that one?" she mockingly taunted.

"No. I'm the anomaly in our family. Grandpa Shepard didn't teach me anything. I'm the only one who's never taken a single lesson from him. He said it wouldn't do me any good because my tech skills trump his and I could pick up everything else from one of the others. He did show how me how to make a really good pepperoni pizza though."

Once she was finished responding to Shar's provocation, she erected a kinetic barrier before firing an incineration blast at her adversary who nimbly dodged the maneuver and closed in on her. As she got closer, she directed a warp at Leanne who skillfully dodged it by sliding towards her advancing enemy. The moment she was in range, she focused a portion of her kinetic barrier into a surprisingly potent energy pulse that knocked Shar off her feet and caused her to drop her monomolecular blade.

"FYI, I'm not just a tech specialist. I'm _the_ tech specialist. Miss Sublime, at your service."

Shar never got the chance to make a retort before being killed by an electrical current that was the result of an overload having been unleashed by an angry young Shepard who was eager to go home. After the skirmish, Leanne took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She wasn't accustomed to fighting or taking lives and the feeling left a bad taste in her mouth despite how much her enemies' deserved it.

"You were right Uncle Isaac. It's not something you should take lightly. I don't know how Angelica and Cammie do it." she sighed. "Or Nate." she quietly added.

"You learn to enjoy it, especially when revenge is involved."

The voice that suddenly responded to her musings sent a chill down her spine. Before she could react, the man to whom it belonged had already appeared in front of her. He wasted no time and immediately knocked her unconscious with a vicious punch to the face using his non-prosthetic arm.

"You just had to make this complicated, didn't you little girl? But that's alright. We can still salvage the mess that you and those other nuisances have created."

After releasing a slightly maniacal laugh, he started to drag Leanne down the corridor into the unknown.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Nate, we're following the instructions to the letter. Trust me."

"He's right to be concerned, Vince. Our continued encounters with the arbiters have delayed and diverted us at several turns. This ship also resembles a labyrinth. One wrong move and we could end up lost."

"That's a real comforting thought there, big guy." After giving Zeke his usual brand of sarcastic humor, Dylan decided to consult his own set of directions using his omni-tool. "We shouldn't be too far off now."

The group of soldiers were rapidly sprinting through flesh colored hallways and pustule lined corridors that appeared to be identical, a fact that only added to their frustration and confusion even though they had a basic set of instructions for how to proceed to their intended destination.

"The sooner we get to Lou, the better. I can't believe those idiots on the Fenrir let him come here! What the hell was Rain thinking?!" Meena raged.

"Damn woman. You've really got it bad for our brother, don't you?" Ray mused.

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it Ray. She got her ass kicked unequivocally by Rain on two separate occasions and still won't-"

"Shut up!" Meena furiously interrupted before Dylan could continue.

"Wait, twice? When was the second time?" Vince pondered.

"It was a few weeks after you left to try your luck at living in 'civilized space' with your girl. Lou had stopped by the Den to try and cheer us all up. He offered to take everyone out for a night on the town and that's when-"

"Dylan, I'll kill you. I mean it." Meena warned.

"Why did I have to miss all these fights? You two couldn't duke it out before I left to train with Zaeed?" Ray asked in agitation.

"Rain is pretty amazing. Come to think of it, I never really considered just how powerful she is. Victor never beat her once in sparring and neither did their brothers. I know Liv's the one with the most ferocious reputation but-"

Nate abruptly stopped himself as his group rounded a corner and suddenly broke away from the others after catching sight of something that unnerved him.

"Nate! What are you doing? We can't afford to get sidetracked anymore than we already have."

"Vince, she was here! She was actually here!"

"What are you-"

"Look around. Just take a good look around."

Vince obliged and began surveying the area while their companions caught up with them. "Three dead arbiters, it looks like they got caught up in some kind of explosion. Plus two dead phantoms who've been burned to a crisp."

"There's another two over here. One's got a broken neck and her friend-This is one of those phantom vets who chased us down on Illium, Shar. I can't tell what killed the bitch but her armor took a serious hit from something powerful, probably Leanne's shield pulse. Yeah, this was definitely her handiwork. Ice fragments, shattered troopers, a cryo blast…she was here Vince. I know it."

"Okay, that might be true but we've got no way of tracking her."

"Actually, we do. When we were alone together at Liara's, I linked my omni-tool to hers and copied the design specs. Leanne uses a unique device of her own design and it leaves a faint energy trail whenever she uses it. I can pick up and trace that trail using my omni-tool as long as she used hers recently enough." Nate explained before summoning his own device.

"Okay dumbass, so why didn't you just do that when the pirates first snatched her?" Ray irritably asked.

"I don't know Ray, maybe because she hadn't recently used her omni-tool before getting kidnapped. Or because there's range limitations and I can't track her across an entire planet or star system." Nate sarcastically countered in agitation. "Dick." he muttered afterwards before picking up his girl's trail. "I've got it. Let's move."

As they all prepared to follow Leanne's trail, the walls around the hallway started to constrict and expand before finally peeling open and revealing a mob of purple arbiter proletarians and a single controller.

"Goddammit, we don't have time for this!" Nate raged while pulling out his Spectrum sniper rifle.

"No, you really don't. Vince, you guys go on ahead. Me, Zeke and Meena will handle this. We can cover your escape." Dylan suggested before opening fire on the newly arrived hostiles with his Lumina.

"Dylan, thanks." Vince reciprocated before rushing off with Nate and Ray around a corner.

"Say what you want Meena but that guy does love his brothers."

"I know, alright. That doesn't mean he won't leave them again."

"Did he ever really leave, I wonder?" Zeke mused.

The trio would have to resume their discussion later after facing down the horde of hostiles standing before them.

* * *

"We're getting closer, almost there!" Nate huffed in between breaths as he and his brothers bolted down a hallway at a breakneck pace. After arriving at a dead end, it seemed that their pursuit may have been cut short.

"Are you sure you're reading that thing right?"

"Yeah Ray, I am. And this big fleshy wall isn't fooling anybody or getting in my way. Stand back."

After giving his order, Nate quickly got to work setting up a C4 explosive on the annoying obstacle that was barring their progress. Once it was armed, he and the others got clear while the resulting detonation did its work. The entire hallway seemed to sway slightly after the explosive went off and an eerie wailing echoed across the entire ship.

"What the hell was that?" Ray wondered.

"I'm not sure but I might have an idea. A really crazy idea." Vince quietly responded while reexamining the fleshy exterior of the corridor they were standing in.

"Tell us about it later. Right now my girl is waiting." Nate resolutely stated before leading the way inside the newly revealed entryway.

His brothers quickly followed and the trio soon found themselves inside an expansive, multi-leveled chamber full of red, organic fibers that were running across every floor of the room. The fleshy constructs all converged at a single platform in the center of the area where a grotesque chair holding Leanne was in clear view. She appeared to be unconscious and had a nasty bruise on her face in addition to a black eye. Standing on one side of the chair was a human with a prosthetic arm and disfigured face. On the other was a controller in purple armor and a circle on his chest who appeared to be in the middle of preparing a mass of tendrils that were dangling from the chair. And of course, positioned on elevated perches all around the room were Forgotten troopers and snipers as well as two familiar veteran phantoms.

"It looks like the gang's all here." Ray whispered while pulling out his Meteor.

"All in one spot. This makes things easier and harder." Vince added after drawing his Lumina.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

The sudden roar startled both of his brothers but Nate was in no mood to show discretion. The moment he saw Leanne's condition, something inside him snapped.

"Nothing, yet. Unless you're referring to her pretty little face. If that's what has you so upset, I really don't have much to say. She didn't leave me with any choice." Blaine casually responded. He didn't appear to be surprised by their arrival and was even amused. "A Hunter and a Shepard, this is just too-"

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah. Dad made the same mistake, blah, something, something, blah. I've heard it all before and I'm sick of it. I'm not my father and she's not Allison Shepard so fuck off!"

With that furious declaration, Nate set the battle in motion but not before using a biotic leash to toss Blaine from the platform and upwards across the room while bombarding the controller with a biotic salvo.

" **You dare interrupt-"**

"Hell yeah we do!" Ray cut in after nailing the creature with concentrated shot from his Meteor.

"You undisciplined punks! We need a plan!" Vince angrily scolded while opening fire on the troopers and snipers on the other side of the chamber. Their phantom leaders, Delilah and Flora had already disappeared and were very likely cloaked.

"My only plan involves killing that bastard Blaine!" Nate raged before cloaking himself, infuriating Vince further.

"You should know by now that we're all a bunch of unruly animals when we're pissed. But I happen to be wild no matter what just like Liv. Get used to it, Vince." Ray chided before putting his gun away, switching to his hammer and diving towards the center platform. After crashing into the arbiter controller, both figures went toppling off the side to the floor below.

"Mal's blood, it's gotta be Mal's blood that causes them all to pull stupid stunts like this. Oh right, and Tess' genes. Damn you both for having a bunch of kids who are just like you." Vince angrily muttered.

"No head games for you, ugly." Ray taunted in between electrified hammer strikes. He was systematically tearing down his foe's kinetic barrier without giving the creature an opportunity to retaliate with a mental assault.

His plan appeared to be working, until a certain phantom veteran lunged at him from the shadows after decloaking between him and the controller.

"You don't learn, do you boy?" Flora jeered after wounding Ray's chest and retreating a safe distance behind the controller who was already restoring his shields.

"No, I don't. I'm stubborn and stupid." Ray angrily responded while deploying his tech armor and erecting a barrier.

"All the better for me."

Flora once again disappeared, leaving Ray to deal with the newly recovered controller who quickly bombarded him with a series of energy beams that completely destroyed his defenses. His weaponry was far more powerful than his red and beige counterparts and Ray found himself on the defensive almost immediately. As he was backing away, Flora reappeared and severed a tendon in his right leg before plunging her blade into his midsection and withdrawing it.

"That felt off. It was like stabbing metal. Could it be your armor or-"

The biotically charged hammer that collided with her chest abruptly ended her contemplation and sent her spiraling towards the controller who simply swatted her aside.

"Like I said before, I'm stubborn and I'm stupid. But I'm also a rock."

Ray was struggling to steady himself after falling to his knees due to the fact that his right leg was useless at the moment which put him in a very dangerous position. He'd increased his muscle mass by using his focus but that wouldn't do him much good against the monster standing before him.

"Maybe I'm not invincible but I'm not a quitter either."

The controller prepared to fire another energy beam at Ray who responded by tossing his electrified hammer at the creature, disrupting its aim and damaging its kinetic barrier. Undeterred the controller, fired another beam using its left hand gauntlet only to be blasted backwards when Ray created a biotic protector to shield himself from the damage. The maneuver destroyed what remained of the monster's kinetic barrier which is what Ray had been counting on. Once his adversary's shields were down, he pulled out a knife and rolled towards the controller and promptly executed a leg sweep. The moment his enemy hit the ground, Ray stabbed the creature in the neck several times before planting the blade in his opponent's skull.

" **I…am…a Gen Three…How…"**

"Yeah, well, you're dead now." Ray casually retorted after his foe's last words echoed inside his head. "Because I'm a stubborn asshole, just like my old man." he added in exhaustion as the sounds of gunfire and fighting continued to echo above him. "I can't believe that stupid move actually came in handy. Virgo will never let me live this down if she ever finds out."

* * *

 _"Listen Ray, you have a talent for defensive biotic techniques and there are other abilities that you can use other than a barrier."_

 _"Like what? I can't make bubbles. That's Leon's thing."_

 _"I wasn't referring to spheres, now pay attention."_

 _"Why are you even trying to teach me? I thought you only cared about Vince and Angelica. Aren't they your precious little geniuses?"_

 _"I care about all of you and recently it's become necessary for me to expand my student base. The twins and Rain are now my pupils too."_

 _"I still don't understand why I'm here. Our combat styles are completely different."_

 _"Do you want to learn something new or not?"_

 _"Fine, show me whatever this thing is."_

 _"This 'thing' is called a biotic protector. It's a shield that's capable of guarding against catastrophic amounts of damage but places an immense burden on the user's body. You won't be able move or do much else while utilizing it."_

 _"What good will something like that do me? And just in case you forgot, I'm already a walking tank thanks to my barrier and tech armor. It sounds like a waste of time."_

 _"If that's how you feel, I won't force you to learn. But this 'waste of time' happened to save your father's life many years ago when he was being stupid._

 _"Wait, Dad knows how to use this protector thing?"_

 _"No, he doesn't. I do. Of course, my love for him only intensified the power of the shield at the time and drew our hearts closer together while our souls cried out to each other. Then our bodies began yearning for-"_

 _"Alright, stop! I'll learn the damn move! Just stop talking! And don't tell Wrandok. He gets jealous."_

 _"It'll be our little secret."_

* * *

"How does Dad put up with that woman?" Ray wearily pondered while his armor's VI assessed his injuries and began administering medi-gel accordingly.

"I hate snipers." Vince complained after sabotaging the weapons of the remaining nuisances in the room.

Once their weapons were overheated, he opened fire on them and tossed a cluster grenade at the troopers who were no longer being covered by their disarmed allies. The resulting shots and explosions cleared the room but Vince was no fool. He knew someone was still scurrying around in the shadows and it wasn't just Nate. He kept his Lumina at the ready while surveying the area. Ray was lying on the floor below, wounded but alive.

"He actually killed that thing and one of those phantom vets. He'll be bragging during the whole trip back." he humorously lamented.

He continued to stare down at his younger brother before discreetly pulling out a detonator and pressing it after glancing at the pathway to his left. The resulting explosion wounded and exposed the last remaining phantom in the room.

"Recon mine. I set it up and hid it not long after Ray jumped into the middle of the mayhem like an idiot. I'm not as resilient as my brothers and neither is Nate. We can't afford to take too much damage. We just don't have the bodies for it. So we have to be smarter."

"You've got a lot to learn about fighting dirty, boy."

The voice came out of nowhere as a decoy at the explosion site slowly faded.

"Shit!"

The curse was the only thing Vince was able to mutter before being hit with a biotic slash that decimated his shields and sent careening to the middle platform where Leanne was still sitting unconscious.

"I really hate this woman." he coughed after struggling to his feet only to be further wounded by a few stray submachine gun rounds.

"Damn, I missed. I was never much of a marksman. I'm much better with my biotics and a blade." Delilah laughed before vanishing again.

" _She got my left arm and leg and that slash damaged my armor's shield capacitors. Perfect."_

After quietly fuming in his head Vince quickly consulted his omni-tool and pulled out a Spark Surge heavy pistol. "And…NOW!"

The next volatile exchange between him and Delilah saw Vince aim a particle shot square between her eyes the moment she reappeared in an attempt to take his head.

"Tactical Scan. It helps me cheat cheaters." Vince calmly explained after her body hit the floor.

He then took a moment to lean against the bone-like railing of the platform and repair the damage to his armor as gunfire continued to echo on the levels above him. "Hang in there, Nate. Ray may be down for the count right now and that whore got me pretty good but I'll be there soon. Just hold on."

Meanwhile, Nate found himself bolting from one cover position to the next as the madman he was fighting focus fired a string of particle beams at him using his prosthetic arm of all things.

"Don't tell me you believed the Terminus Wolves were the only ones who thought of this! Mine may be based on Collector tech but it's just as dangerous!" Blaine shouted between rounds.

"And it uses power cells which means it sucks ass just like the bitch who's using it!" Nate shouted back before taking a shot while his enemy was reloading.

He ended up wounding Blaine's non-prosthetic arm before he could finish reloading. The two men had been exchanging fire back and forth on the highest levels of the chamber ever since Nate flung his quarry upwards at the fight's onset.

"HUNTER!"

"Here we go." Nate muttered as an enormous singularity appeared between him and Blaine. Luckily, he'd put enough distance between himself and his target before the obstruction emerged.

"I won't be denied this Hunter. Not by you or anyone else. I've waited too long to have my revenge against that bastard, Ethan Shepard. Do you know what he did to me?!"

"Made you even uglier than you already were and took an arm?" Nate quipped.

"He scorched half of my face with his biotics, sucked me into a gravity well, watched it explode and then just left. I lost an arm, part of a leg and half my torso because of him. But to top it all off, he left me to die on some deserted hellhole. He didn't even have the decency to finish me off. Him and his loyal crew of followers. THEY WIPED OUT MY ENTIRE DIVISION! WE WERE THE BEST!"

"Apparently not if you got beaten down by Ethan Shepard. He's not even the badass of the family."

"He wasn't alone. He had Hawkins with him, _The Biotic Brawler_. He'll get his too. That fucking cripple is as good as dead. They all are and I can't wait to see it. Your sister included."

"What did you just say?!"

"We're through talking, Hunter. You should've done yourself a favor and shacked up with one of your dancers."

The moment he finished his rant, Blaine's singularity exploded and sent a blast wave across the entire floor, sweeping across everything in its path including Nate. After crashing into a fleshy barrier lined with cartilage, Nate was promptly bombarded by more beams from Blaine's newly reloaded particle gun arm. After diving away from the volley and avoiding further abuse, Nate cloaked himself and primed his Spectrum with a warp effect.

"Are you sneaking around again, Hunter? Is that really the best you can do? But what more can I expect from the family weakling? You're not the strongest or the smartest. You're not the most powerful biotic, the best leader or any kind of leader really. You're not even the most ambitious. Before we found out about your assassin persona, we figured you were the dead weight. A mistake your father wished he could take back. You hear me, Hunter? You'll never be like him."

After getting his fill of ridiculing Nate, Blaine decided to get serious and pinpoint his location using his artificial eye. Once he discovered where he was, he promptly slammed him into a wall with a biotic throw before sending him soaring with a pull.

"I owe you for earlier, Hunter." Blaine coldly informed him after taking a step forward and preparing to fire a warp.

"And I owe you for Leanne." Nate responded while glaring at him and then smirking.

Blaine was utterly confused until he noticed the small laser sensor that he'd tripped after taking that single step. A moment later, three C4 proximity explosives detonated and completely destroyed the top level of the chamber sending him and the floor he was standing on crashing down to the next level. Not long afterwards, Nate hit the ground too as an otherworldly howl of agony once again echoed across the ship.

"How do you like that, asshole?" he coughed.

The particle beam that tore through his left arm served as the response he didn't expect to receive. Blaine had not only survived somehow but he was also back on his feet. His flesh and blood arm was now gone and so was most of his armor. Without it, Nate could see the full measure of prosthetics and synthetic augmentations that had been grafted onto his body. The bizarre fusion of artificial muscle tissue and metal combined with his remaining organic components gave him a ghoulish appearance, especially now that he was practically a walking corpse.

"Kill you. I'll kill you. I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Keep dreaming." Nate casually responded before swiftly taking aim at Blaine's prosthetic arm and opening fire with his Spectrum.

After his warp reinforced shot destroyed his target's synthetic limb, he fired one final shot into the madman's head. Blaine's body immediately dropped to the floor afterwards where Nate sealed it inside of a biotic storm that obliterated his remains.

"I'm not taking any chances. When a Hunter kills somebody, we REALLY kill them." Nate coolly stated when his maelstrom of destruction finally dissipated.

Several minutes later, he and his brothers reunited on the center platform of the room where Leanne was still resting. After playfully brushing Ray's cheek with his fist and having Vince ruffle his head, Nate finally turned his attention to Leanne. He carefully removed her from the grotesque chair where she'd been positioned and took a moment to lament the bruise on her face and her blackened eye.

"I'm late, Leanne. But I'm here now. And from this day forward, I'll be there whenever you need me. Okay?"

After making his promise, Nate pulled her into a hug. A few moments later, she returned the embrace.

"I'll hold you to that."

Vince and Ray observed the couple for awhile before taking notice of a sudden change in the air that was being circulated across the ship.

"That smell."

"Those dirty crab-faced bastards." Ray quietly raged after recognizing the odor himself.

Within seconds, the VIs inside all three men's armors confirmed their suspicions.

" _Warning, airborne toxin present in the atmosphere. Caution is advised."_

"Damn them!" Nate roared.

"This is a pretty pitiful way to try and get rid of us. We're immune to most toxins and poisons." Ray angrily explained while leaning on Vince. His right leg was still a long way from being mended.

"That's true. We can survive this but Leanne can't and neither can the pirates who are still alive. Enhanced humans are resistant not immune and an ordinary human…"

"Leanne, hang on!" Nate pleaded in a panic the moment she began coughing.

He quickly scanned the area and discovered Flora's body still lying in a crumpled heap on the lower floor where Ray had left her. He immediately darted down and relieved the dead woman of her helmet before speeding back and placing it on Leanne.

"That's only a temporary solution, Nate. The filters in the helmet will only mitigate the toxins for so long before-"

"I know Vince!" Nate barked in frustration.

"There's gotta be a way to shut it off. A control room or something." Ray surmised.

"Lou's here…if he joined Elise and Tobias then they might've led him to the room where they first brought me. There were doors…tightly guarded doors…maybe…it's worth a shot. I can use the comm. frequency in the helmet to reach them. That was my original plan, anyway." Leanne explained weakly.

"So you were planning to call my brother for help, huh? That hurts my feelings Miss Sublime." Nate quietly joked in an effort to keep them both calm. "Don't push yourself. Just send Lou the important details and try to slow your breathing."

While Leanne began working, Nate looked up at his brothers who were sharing the same thoughts as him. They needed a miracle and Lucas Hunter was their only chance at getting one.


	41. Chapter 41 Painful Partings

Chapter 41: Painful Partings

"Alright, I know what we have to do. Julian, let's hit it."

"We'll help."

"No, you won't. You're all starting to feel the effects of the toxin, I can tell. If you want to help, contact Leanne's group and tell them to start making their way to the hangar. You and the others should start moving too. You can have your people who are already there begin making preparations to leave this nightmare. I want every ship and shuttle prepped and ready to leave as soon as we get back."

"But Lucas-"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Elise. Do as you're told, remember?"

The young woman wanted to argue but was quickly stopped after her father placed a hand on her shoulder. "You do realize this situation will only tarnish our pride even further."

"At least let us help you identify which door to take. There are several in this chamber and discovering the correct path could prove to be difficult." Tobias added.

"We already have a fairly good theory as to which entry will lead us to everyone's salvation and fortunately it's been left open." Julian informed him.

After observing the looks of confusion that their new allies were giving them, Lucas decided to elaborate. "He means the door that the suppressor and controller used to enter this chamber. They're the higher level troops within the arbiter forces so it's pretty safe to assume they would've been occupying a control room or some other restricted area. It's just a guess but it's all we have to go on and time's running out for you guys and Leanne."

"Considering what we already owe you and what we'll soon owe you once we've all escaped, none of us would feel right watching you walk into such peril alone." Amber anxiously stated.

"You don't owe me anything." Lucas insisted.

"I beg to differ. You rescued our children, spared our lives and offered us a new path forward. Now you're risking your life to save all of us. That's hardly nothing young man." Earnest calmly countered.

"If you really feel that way and want to repay your debt then do what I asked and go. None of you are any good to me in the shape you're in so stop wasting time and get to the hangar before this gas kills you and my efforts end up being in vain." Lucas demanded.

The former pirates all stared back him before reluctantly turning to leave the chamber.

"I look forward to meeting your mother. I can't help but envy and pity her for having such a fearless and stubborn son." Amber humorously lamented.

"She's used to it. I'm pretty far from being an only child and we're all difficult to deal with."

"I can imagine. Getting acquainted with the rest of your siblings will certainly be interesting. Your brothers have already proven to be intriguing themselves despite how brief and chaotic our introductions were."

"You'll change your tune once you meet my sisters. Liv's always been fiery and the twins…do yourselves a favor and don't piss them off, no matter what."

Amber resisted the urge to chuckle but grew slightly concerned by the serious expression that Lucas was giving her. She got the distinct impression that he wasn't joking. A few minutes later, Lucas and Julian found themselves alone after the former Forgotten had all finally left and began the ominous trek towards their destination.

"I did say we were in for some fun times." Lucas quipped as they entered the doorway that would hopefully lead them to a means of shutting off the poisonous fumes that were still flooding the ship.

"The accuracy of your predictions can sometimes be unnerving but in this case the veracity of your intuition is hardly surprising. We both knew what we'd be walking into the moment we stuffed ourselves inside that arbiter vessel."

"I still wouldn't have minded being wrong. Maybe have everything be easy for once."

"Shall I buy you drink later while we discuss our mutual annoyance?"

"Sure but the next round is on me. I owe you that much for agreeing to tag along."

"You don't owe me anything for fighting alongside you, Lucas. And I'm certain every member of the Terminus Wolves and Fangs feels the same way."

"You have no idea how unsettling that is. Just look at what I'll be ordering them to fight. We've both faced the worst of the arbiters and there's still more to come. There's no telling how many of those monsters are gonna come pouring out of Despoina and the Psi Tophet System once the Leviathans finally decide to launch a campaign of open warfare. We'll be the first targets, Julian. Heshtok and the vorcha colonies in the Kyzil System. The destroyed and abandoned human colonies that dad reclaimed, rebuilt and repopulated-New Canton, Ferris Fields, Cyrene, Fehl Prime and Freedom's Progress. They were all lost once already to the Collectors, I can't let them fall again. Then there's Cartagena Station, Bekke, Tortuga and all of our other colonies in the Nemean Abyss. The Leviathans won't just turn a blind eye to them. Plus our research lab on Aeia and the pilot colony we've got going there, I don't know how dad does it. He built so much for so many people and kept it all safe for so long. Everyone's afraid of him because of all the power he's amassed and the fleets he commands but when you really think about it, he needs every military asset he has and more. Now it's all being passed on to me in addition to the company. Between all of that and having to fill his seat on the Chaos Syndicate, I'm not sure I can handle everything. I'm no galactic overlord or kingpin. I'm just a merc with a really big family."

After voicing his anxieties, Lucas took a moment to lean against the fleshy lining of a wall that ran down the corridor past the doorway he and Julian had recently entered. He'd obviously been keeping the concerns over his recent succession and promotion to himself. Those worries in addition to the dilemmas he'd been forced to deal with in regards to his pursuit of the rogue SPECTRES and Augury had obviously been piling up.

"I'm not really sure what I can say in order to ease your concerns. I can scarcely imagine the enormity of the responsibilities you've been handed. What I can tell you is that every single treasure will be there to support you and so will your family. You won't have to manage any of it alone or bear the duty of safeguarding our domains by yourself. We've all come this far together under Mal's leadership but he is just one man, one man who had a dedicated group of friends who were willing to assist him in his initial endeavors. What we have now are the results of their combined efforts on all our behalf. Our home, memories, laughter, childhood-The security we were granted was all thanks to the Terminus Wolves. It was a collective effort, something Mal would often make clear during our training sessions together but a fact that is all too often overlooked nonetheless. Lucas, you aren't your father but you do have friends just as he does. The burdens you carry will never be yours alone, I promise."

After hearing Julian's reassurance, Lucas took a deep breath and smiled. "I don't know why I was actually worried. Liv's probably already planning to split control of the Fangs with Ray and the twins. Adriana, Giselle and Shannon do a great job overseeing Lupine Industries and Stan's been running Feral Munitions smoothly for years. Sierra and Marco never fail to impress with their innovations at Primal Designs and Rain practically runs Cartagena with Dad already based on how often they exchange messages. Maybe I should be more worried that I'm not needed."

Both men laughed at the remark before facing each other. "We do need you Lucas, as much as we need each other. I don't claim to have the gift of foresight but I'm certain that perilous times lay on the horizon, full of battles that we can scarcely fathom but must be fought regardless. During times like these bonds should be strengthened and new ones forged. Though Mal may be loath to admit it, that is a lesson both he and Admiral Shepard have likely taken to heart. And it's one that I believe you've already mastered. As a leader you'll do fine. In fact, I'd wager you'll do much better than fine but I doubt you'll believe me so I'll leave it at that."

"You're right, I don't believe you. But thanks Julian. I mean it."

After slapping his friend across the back and finally shedding his anxieties, Lucas resumed the trek towards their destination. The darkened corridor they were traversing eventually led to a large, brightly lit room with a luminescent pillar of energy resting in its center. Inside the strange construct a controller in purple armor was calmly levitating, seemingly oblivious to their arrival.

"Do we even want to know?"

"I doubt it."

After responding to Lucas' exhausted query, Julian quickly began examining the room and noticed a series of fibrous threads that ran along the floor from the base of the energy pillar and converged at different points along the wall which appeared to be pulsing in a rhythm similar to a heartbeat.

"It appears we've discovered the nerve center for the entire ship. This is unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Same here. Then again, what else would you expect from a ship that's actually a living creature-A truly organic space faring vessel." Lucas surmised.

"So you knew?"

"I suspected as much based on all the evidence. The fleshy interior, arteries inside the walls, the fact that the whole thing has a pulse. ACE warned us too. I'm not even gonna pretend I understand how all of this works so let's just go with our instincts."

"I assume that involves destroying everything in this room and killing the controller who's asleep inside that energy field."

"You got it."

"I won't argue your plan but there is a problem."

"Which is?"

"Them."

Both men immediately locked eyes with a pair of suppressors in purple who opened fire with their shoulder cannons after revealing themselves from behind the pillar. The two soldiers quickly dodged the energy sweeps by diving behind the glowing construct which remained unaffected by the assault.

"Focus on one just like before!"

After giving the order, Lucas pulled out a Hyperion while Julian did the same and they both fired on the nearest of the suppressors. The creature's shields were instantly destroyed by their offensive but before they could capitalize on its vulnerability, an energy cascade suddenly erupted from the pillar where they'd taken cover, knocking them both off their feet and restoring the damaged suppressor's kinetic barrier.

"Well, that's gonna make things trickier."

"Agreed. That controller seems to be awake after all and will likely pose a problem but I doubt we'll be able to harm it as long it remains within the confines of that energy field." Julian surmised as they both returned to their feet.

"That's okay, we'll lure him out eventually."

"How can you be sure?"

"We aren't writhing in agony right now or twitching on the floor. That bastard is cut off from us just as much as we are to him. Helping his heavily armed flunkies is all he can manage and so far only Augury and the controllers have shown the ability to floor us with that pseudo telepathic bullshit. So let's hurry up and kill these things, then their boss can come out to play."

After explaining his theory, Lucas circled around the energy pillar and fired another shot from his newly cooled Hyperion. He inflicted substantial damage to the shields of the second suppressor but his work was immediately erased by another energy cascade that was emitted from the controller's glowing pillar. During the maneuver, Julian was able to catch sight of a faint shimmer from a fibrous node on the wall where one of the threads from the energy pillar led.

"I see…Lucas, cover me!"

His leader instantly complied and began firing several beams from his Lumina after switching weapons while Julian bolted across the room. After making it halfway to his objective, Julian found himself being targeted by both suppressors despite Lucas' efforts. As the oversized artillery units prepared to fire their shoulder cannons, both were knocked off balance by a biotic charge after Lucas smashed into them. While they staggered from his assault, he followed up with another Hyperion blast which once again stripped them of their shields. The moment their defenses fell, the node that Julian had noticed earlier began to glow only this time he was ready and quickly destroyed the convergence with an electric slash using his monomolecular blade. The effects of his actions were immediately visible when the energy cascade failed to appear and an influx of residual energy caused a small explosion within the glowing pillar that jolted the controller inside.

"Julian, Hyperion! Now!" Lucas commanded before diving from his line of fire.

His friend quickly complied after drawing his own heavy weapon, resulting in the destruction of their first suppressor. In retaliation, the second menace modified its gauntlets and began bombarding the entire room with a rapid spread of energy slugs that both men found themselves hard-pressed to avoid. They both sprinted around the pillar while struggling to avoid the barrage before reconvening behind the glowing construct where Julian erected a biotic sphere that surrounded them. Despite his efforts, both men found themselves wounded in the aftermath. The defensive measure had spared them from the worst but both of their personal shields had been decimated.

"Forgive me, Lucas. His offensive capabilities are far more potent than those of the suppressors we engaged on Lorek." Julian coughed while struggling to his knees.

"I noticed. I guess purple means super dangerous." Lucas wearily responded after staggering to his feet and modifying his Lumina with a warp effect.

Afterwards, he took aim at the suppressor and promptly destroyed one of his foe's shoulder cannons. He continued his offensive while Julian returned to his feet and pulled out his own Lumina. Before he could join Lucas' assault, the energy pillar suddenly emitted another cascade that restored the suppressor's shields. With its kinetic barrier restored, the creature quickly deployed the jets in its armor and circled the room taking aim with its remaining shoulder cannon and a series of energy beams from it gauntlets. Lucas and Julian once again found themselves on the move as they darted around the room avoiding their opponent's onslaught.

"Julian, take the next one out as soon as you see it!"

After giving his command, Lucas zipped across the room behind the hovering suppressor using a biotic charge and took aim with his Hyperion. After opening fire and destroying the creature's shields yet again, he switched to his Lumina and targeted his adversary's jets with predictable results. The suppressor dropped from the air and crashed into the floor. When it attempted to recover, Lucas fired another series of warp laced particle beams that tore into its armor while Julian scanned the room for another glowing node. He soon identified his next mark and fired his Lumina at it the moment it lit up. Unfortunately it was being protected by a kinetic barrier this time and he found himself fighting against time before the next energy cascade could arrive to complicate his and Lucas' battle. After overheating his assault rifle, he quickly switched to his monomolecular blade and directed an electric slash at the node, finally destroying it. His actions resulted in another energy influx and explosion within the pillar, completely destroying it in spectacular fashion and causing the controller within it to fall to the floor. With his foe wounded, Lucas switched to his Advent shot gun and fired a carnage blast that took the suppressor's head off before it could recover. He then turned his attention to the newly released controller that was no longer confined to the energy pillar.

 **What have you done?! Arana is wounded worse than ever! Defenseless and weak, her systems will only deteriorate further now that our link has been severed!"**

"Good, that'll make it easier to kill her or it once we get back to the Fenrir." Lucas defiantly announced while eyeing the monster standing before him.

"The release of noxious fumes within the air supply has also ceased. It seems our mission has been successful. Almost." Julian calmly added.

" **Arrogant Hunter heir, you and your soldier will soon learn your place. I act as Regulator for the Controllers who serve under the Architect designated as Oracle, the leader of the Gen Three army created by the Greaters."**

"Regulator? I killed one of you back on Heshtok. Wait a minute, your boss is another Architect? Damn it, there's more than one! Are you telling me Augury has brothers or something?!"

"Consider the bright side, Lucas. Once we kill him, the enemy will have one less commander in their ranks."

" **You're very much mistaken. After I've eliminated you, there will be one less Hunter in your dynasty and your army will lose one of its strongest warriors."**

The flippant exchanges were brought to a swift end when the Regulator began firing a rapid barrage of energy blasts with homing properties using both of his gauntlets. Julian reacted by erecting another biotic sphere while Lucas opted for a more direct approach and hammered the Regulator with a biotic charge and led a portion of his energy volley back at their source. The impact from his charge combined with the blasts inflicted serious damage to the Regulator's kinetic barrier but also allowed the creature to blindside Lucas with a cone shaped energy beam from close range. After destroying his opposition's barrier and damaging his armor, the Regulator attempted to fire another energy beam but found himself caught unaware when Julian suddenly struck at him with a poison strike that he quickly blocked with his other gauntlet before striking him down with a fist. While both men were incapacitated, the Regulator hoisted his opposition into the air after grabbing them by their throats. It was an impressive display of strength given how herculean his adversaries were.

" **Now you die."**

As Lucas and Julian dangled in the air, the familiar and agonizing sensation of having their heads explode from the inside quickly took hold of both. The pressure was the worst they'd ever experienced and blood was already gushing from their noses. Before either could black out or worse, Julian reached for his blade and made a desperate stab into the Regulator's helmet. He failed to pierce it but the creature did momentarily loosen his grip allowing both men to break free. As they choked and gagged on the floor, their adversary kicked both of them with enough force to send the two soldiers flying, which they did, in different directions while their foe nailed them both with carefully aimed energy beams that damaged their armors even further. He was mildly annoyed by the fact that his attack hadn't outright killed them and once again attempted to induce brain hemorrhages while they were down. Unfortunately, neither man would submit and both were fighting through his mental assault.

After stumbling back onto their feet, Lucas and Julian directed a shockwave and biotic slash at the Regulator respectively in an effort to overwhelm his gauntlets. Sadly, the endeavor failed and the Regulator casually absorbed both their attacks and redirected the energy into a widespread beam that swept across the chamber and wounded both after finally breaching their formidable armors. Before either could return to their feet, he decided to focus his mental assault on one of them instead of both and turned his attention to Lucas who would serve as the biggest prize if killed. The suppressed screams of suffering that his quarry fought to restrain made it clear that his plan was working. As he got closer to finally overpowering Lucas' resistance, a surprisingly powerful and well executed slash from a monomolecular blade nearly caught him unaware and damaged his left hand gauntlet during his attempt to parry it. He'd made the mistake of overlooking Julian for too long, an error on his part and one that could prove fatal. He quickly retaliated with a backhanded punch and began plaguing Julian instead with his extrasensory incursion. Julian struggled to resist but gradually started to fall as the intensity inside his head grew more excruciating by the second. The bottom half of his face was drenched in blood and was growing worse as the pressure in his skull mounted. Just when he thought he wouldn't be able to take anymore, the Regulator was suddenly knocked off balance by a punch to the face that shattered his damaged helmet.

"I'm sick of you and your cheap ass tricks." Lucas announced in exhaustion. "But I see through you now. You did all that bragging but the truth is you can't take us both down with your head games. Julian!"

As if responding to an unseen signal, Julian sent an elbow to the Regulator's face and discreetly tossed his blade to Lucas who closed in and took swipe at their mutual nemesis before tossing the sword back to his partner who performed a similar maneuver. They continued their pattern in tandem confusing their target who couldn't concentrate on either before Julian finally executed an electric slash that finally brought down the monster's kinetic barrier. He then wrapped himself in a familiar and destructive biotic aura and sliced through the Regulator's damaged left hand gauntlet, destroying the armament and taking his enemy's hand along with it. Enraged, his opponent attempted to take flight with his jets after knocking Lucas backwards with a kick but Julian quickly grabbed one of his legs during the ascent and increased his muscle mass before yanking his antagonist back down and destroying his propulsion system with a blast of biotic flames after creating an annihilation field around his body.

Further angered by Julian's interference, The Regulator immediately drained his annihilation field and fired another beam at him that he partially warded off with a skillfully placed biotic sphere. Before the wounded arbiter leader could make any further efforts to kill his target, a series of warp reinforced particle blasts from an Advent shotgun began tearing into his armor. Lucas was already firing on him and making his way back over. After nearing his shotgun's heat limit, he decided to charge his final shot. The Regulator followed suit and began charging his right hand gauntlet in preparation for an energy beam.

"Well let's do it then." Lucas taunted while glaring at his enemy.

A second later, they both fired their shots which collided in a brilliant and volatile display but ultimately ended with Lucas' warp reinforced particle blast tearing through the Regulator's energy beam. To make matters worse for the creature, Lucas' shot also hit his gauntlet and destroyed it along with his arm. With no weapons or shields, the arbiter was now defenseless and at the mercy of a pissed off and wounded Hunter who had already encased himself in a barrier.

"You know what time it is, don't you?" Lucas sarcastically inquired while gathering the energy from his barrier into the palm of his hand.

He didn't give his enemy a chance to respond before bombarding him with a series of phase disruptors that completely obliterated him. Afterwards, he slowly made his way over to Julian who was lying on his back in complete exhaustion.

"I was certain you'd use a flare once his gauntlets had been neutralized. It would've been far more stylish. A flare would've added more flare." Julian quipped before releasing a cough.

"Nah, I did that the last time when I finished off the jackass on Heshtok. It's important to mix things up, you know?" Lucas joked back before helping his friend up.

They both leaned on each other while examining the Regulator's scattered remnants that were decorating the area.

"He was just the number two. That's not a good sign."

"I agree. At no point in my life have I ever been pushed so far or so close to death. Right now I can barely stand, let alone walk. And my head is still pounding, the pain will likely stick with me for days to come."

"I know how you feel. The VIs in our armor can only deal with external injuries. But the shit those things pull…I guess we'll both be locked in the med bay with Zel'me for the next few weeks. Rain won't be happy about that."

Before either of them could laugh or discuss their injuries any further, the entire ship started to vibrate violently as a wail of despair swept across the vessel. Immediately following the agonizing shriek, the lights in the room started to dim and the fleshy interior began turning black.

"It looks like we killed the ship too. Time to go." Lucas announced while shouldering Julian.

"Lucas, you should leave me. I've already mentioned it but I'm in no condition to move and I doubt we have much time before this dreadnought meets its end."

"No." Lucas replied flatly while urging him forward. "If I have to carry you out of here myself than I will."

"You're only in moderately better shape than I am. Please, just go."

"Julian, would you have any regrets? Because I seem to recall you making a promise to someone before we left. We both did."

His friend remained silent for several seconds before finally responding. "How would you dying with me improve the situation?"

"It wouldn't." Lucas casually responded before increasing his muscle mass using his focus. "Now shut up and stay still." he added before hoisting Julian over his shoulders. "We've got a ride to catch."

Afterwards, he began the arduous task of getting them both to safety by sprinting from the room. He bolted back through the corridor they'd used to enter the strange nerve center and back to the primary chamber where they'd first arrived to assist Earnest and the others. At that point, he stopped to catch his breath.

"Man, it's like carrying myself."

"Lucas, you needn't-"

"Shut up and stay still like I told you."

After resting up, he prepared to resume his jog but quickly noticed the hideous transformation that was unfolding across the ship's interior. Everything that was once fleshy and organic was now black and petrified. The walls, floors, even the bizarre pustules appeared to be dead or dying. There were also continued shrieks echoing in the background.

"We really did a number on this thing, didn't we?"

"Yes, that Regulator was obviously responsible for a great deal. His death marked the beginning or should I say end of something quite immense."

"Oh well. It'll save us the trouble of blasting the damn thing once we get back to the Fenrir."

After making his remark, Lucas continued his sprint but almost stumbled to the floor after his head nearly exploded.

" **Arana is dying! The Regulator, my Regulator is no more! What filth has wrought this decay during my slumber?! A Hunter, I can sense him…Ignorant child! You won't escape me! You won't escape Oracle!"**

What happened next, unnerved both Lucas and Julian as an enormous figure in purple armor with a V imprinted across his chest suddenly tore through a sealed set of doors in the chamber and set his sights on them.

"Damn, that bastard is actually bigger than Augury. Hang on Julian."

"Lucas, be sensible! You don't stand a chance of outrunning that monster while carrying me!"

"Wanna bet?"

Lucas followed up his declaration by rushing through the entryway of the chamber and tossing a trio of lift grenades behind him that exploded and caused a collapse of petrified flesh to fall, sealing the way behind him while Oracle seethed.

" **You won't escape."**

* * *

"Goddamn, what the hell did Lou and Julian do?! The whole ship is coming apart!" Nate raged while carrying Leanne.

"Well, they did technically stop the gas." Vince reluctantly offered while shouldering Ray.

"We missed a good one, I just know it." Ray complained.

"So this is what it's like to be a Terminus Wolf? Running for your life, fighting for your life, risking your life-Does it ever get old?"

"No."

The response was unanimous and came from all three brothers causing Leanne to release a sigh.

"Why did I even ask?"

The group continued backtracking to the last place where they'd left their companions and discovered to their immense relief that they were alright and had apparently been successful in their fight based on the bodies littering the floor. But they also appeared to be nursing a few injuries including some rather bloody noses.

"You found her, good. Now let's-"

"Meena, we already made contact with Lou. He's fine and based on what's happening right now, I'd say he and Julian were successful in their mission. A little too successful." Nate quickly explained.

"Hang on, I think you're gonna have to explain a few things." Dylan responded in confusion a moment before another vibration shook the hallway while a bloodcurdling screech resonated across the corridors.

"We can explain on the way. Right now we have to get to the hangar. This whole place is dying, literally." Vince cautioned.

"It would've been nice to have a few more minutes to shake this headache. That jerk with the circle on his chest messed us up pretty bad." Dylan lamented.

"It was an insidious method of attack. We'll have to be wary of similar maneuvers in the future. I sincerely doubt that this will be the last we see of these creatures." Zeke placidly stated.

"Oh man, you really have no idea." Ray replied in amusement. "We've got a few field manuals back on the Fenrir that you guys should really take a look at. Lou put them together using all the info that he and Julian gathered while fighting the different types-"

"You mean Lou's been fighting these things even more since he left?! Why?! He's our leader! He shouldn't be getting his hands dirty or risking his life against monsters like this!"

"Yell at him not us!" Ray angrily countered.

"Meena, not now!" Vince shouted before leading the way forward. "Let's move people!"

"She really seems to care about Lou." Leanne whispered from Nate's arms.

"Trust me, you don't want to know how much." Nate quietly responded in exasperation.

* * *

"I'm worried, Dad. They should be here by now and this ship is in bad shape." Elise anxiously stated.

She and the rest of her family had all gathered in the hangar of the now dying arbiter dreadnought along with the rest of their remaining forces who hadn't been killed during the recent battles aboard the ship.

"Earnest, maybe we should go back for them. Shutting off that gas and triggering the demise of this dreadnought couldn't have been easy and there's no telling what sort of injuries they may have sustained in the effort." Amber suggested.

"You might right…"

"Dad, I'll go with you. Or better yet, I'll go alone." Tobias offered.

"Forget it! We go together or not at all." Elise argued.

"Both of you stop-"

Amber abruptly paused after noticing the frantic arrival of another group of Hunters and their entourage. The small group of soldiers had just rushed through a collapsing entryway moments before its destruction.

"Great, just great. More pirates." Ray scoffed. "Son of a-I fought these two back on Illium! The old man sideswiped me with his damn whips!"

"You mean he took you down fair and square." Vince corrected him. "If it makes you feel any better, he beat me too."

"YOU!" Meena roared after recognizing Amber. Before she could make a move towards the veteran phantom, Zeke grabbed her and took to his usual task of restraining her.

"Meena, breathe. This is hardly the time or place for petty grudges."

"It's nice to see you guys alive." Nate casually offered while still holding Leanne.

"You found her!" Elise happily shouted.

"That's a relief. I don't think any of us would've been able to live with the guilt if anything had happened to her." Tobias sighed.

"Fuck off, seriously. You bastards are the reason she ended up in this mess to begin with." Ray angrily responded while glaring at them.

"Ray, it's alright. I don't condone what they did but I can't hate them either. And Amber is the reason I was able to escape."

"Say what?" Nate asked in confusion.

"She unlocked my restraint bands before the arbiter took me. Didn't you?"

"I simply gave you a chance. You were the one who took it and chose not to give up."

"So the pirate grew a conscience at the last minute, real touching." Ray mockingly added before glancing around the area. "Where's our brother?"

"We don't know. He and his friend haven't returned yet and we're beginning to grow concerned." Earnest explained.

"Dylan, take Ray." Vince quickly ordered. His friend obliged and shouldered his younger brother while he readied his weapons. "I'm going to get Lou."

"Not without me!" Meena emphatically added.

"No surprise there." Dylan quipped. "You'd both better hurry. I don't think this place is going to hold together much longer."

A large portion of the newly petrified ceiling suddenly fell from above them as if confirming his suspicions. More collapses followed and the hangar itself started to tear apart as the cave-ins escalated.

"Earnest, Amber, we've got the ships prepped and ready to go. If we're leaving, now would be a good time to do it. Everyone's already boarded except for you guys and the rest of the vets." Pierre explained in a panic after rushing over.

"We are NOT leaving without Lou!" Meena snarled.

"It doesn't look like we'll have to. Look." Dylan advised while pointing towards a small doorway in the distance.

The sight instantly lifted everyone's spirits as Lucas' figure came into view while sprinting. He appeared to be carrying Julian and the closer he got, the more serious the look on his face became.

"GO!" he bellowed.

For a moment everyone assumed his desperation was the result of the dreadnought's rapidly deteriorating condition but the true source of his urgency made itself clear the moment he joined them. A massive figure in purple armor with a V imprinted on his chest quickly barreled through the debris that had fallen across the area and was now eyeing everyone present.

"Damn it! I barely slowed him down!"

"Lou, what the hell-"

"No time to explain everything. Long story short, that monster is an architect who's pissed off that me and Julian broke his ship and killed his number one flunky." Lucas brusquely simplified before Vince could continue.

"You're hurt." Meena anxiously stated after shoving her way towards him and ignoring Julian.

"I'm fine, Julian's in worse shape. Zeke, take him." Lucas ordered before handing Julian to the reliable giant. "I want all of you to board those ships, NOW. I'll do what I can to hold that thing here."

"Absolutely not!" Meena screamed.

"Lucas, I can't let you do this!" Julian argued.

"You must be outta your goddamn mind if you think we'll follow that order." Ray defiantly countered.

"Elise, you and your brother take Leanne and get out of here. I've gotta help Lou fight another monster." Nate calmly added while passing Leanne to Tobias.

"Nate, NO!" Leanne cried while struggling to break free of Tobias' hold.

"I'm glad I saved most of my explosives." Vince thoughtfully remarked while pulling out his Lumina. "Dylan, Zeke, take Julian and Ray to a shuttle and head out. I'll catch up later."

"I'm not leaving you dumbasses behind to fight that thing alone!"

"Ray, you're leg is still mangled. You'd be dead weight and you know it. And even if that wasn't the case, we're the older brothers. We'll see you soon." Vince quietly responded.

"We can't let you do this-"

The sudden pain that began searing inside the skulls of everyone present quickly cut Elise's defiant response short as Oracle attempted to subdue his prey before they could board the ships.

"No more arguing, GO!" Lucas roared before opening fire on the colossal architect with his Hyperion. "We'll cover your departures, now send word to your people and move!"

His brothers joined his assault, momentarily distracting the enormous arbiter commander while several ships and shuttles made their escapes.

"His shields aren't taking any damage, none!" Vince yelled between gunfire.

"I'm not surprised. This bastard might be at the top of the food chain." Lucas bitterly surmised. "How many ships have left so far?"

"About half and that behemoth noticed too. He's taking aim at a shuttle!" Nate warned.

Before he could react, Oracle opened fire on one of the departing shuttles with a frighteningly powerful energy beam from his right hand gauntlet that was quickly intercepted by an equally destructive biotic flare. After foiling the arbiter leader's attempt at obliterating one of the fleeing aircraft, Lucas fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"Lou, you weren't in any condition to use that!" Vince scolded.

"Had to…no other choice…my Hyperion's still cooling down…"

Lucas was officially worn out and could barely catch his breath but was determined to secure every remaining ship's escape. He'd given the former pirates his word that they'd get a second chance and he intended to see that they did.

"Just a little more. A little bit longer." he muttered between breaths before a sudden blow to the back of his head knocked him out.

"I'm taking Lou. He's done more than enough already and I won't stand here and watch him throw his life away for us or those good-for-nothing pirates." Meena announced while picking him up. She then took a moment to gently wipe the blood from his face through the open visor of his helmet. After hoisting his body across her back, she turned to face the others. "Don't screw this up. We're counting on you."

With those final words, she rushed off towards the last remaining shuttle while carrying the man she cared about more than anyone else.

"He's gonna be so pissed when he wakes up." Nate joked.

"To be honest, I'm grateful to her. I don't want Lou here right now or you for that matter." Vince sternly responded before modifying his Lumina with a warp effect and concentrating fire against a series of homing blasts that Oracle had unleashed against a departing shuttle.

The gargantuan arbiter was still targeting the escaping ships despite their best efforts and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to counter his energy assaults.

"Vince, we're gonna have to engage him at close range." Nate finally announced after unleashing a biotic salvo of his own energy blasts to counter Oracle's next bombardment. "He's basically ignoring us in order to take down the ships."

"If we do that…Alright." Vince agreed before extending a burning omni-blade. "I still had things I wanted to tell Angelica."

"Same here. I dropped out of contact for too long. I was planning to reconnect once this mess with Leanne got resolved. I missed talking to her."

"She missed you too. All of you." Vince informed him. "And now she's going to get hurt again because of us."

"No, she won't."

The calm and authoritative voice nearly caught them both off guard. After turning around, they were both greeted by the appearance of Earnest, Amber and their entire force of veteran soldiers.

"We've already evacuated the youths within our ranks. Everyone except for…"

Earnest took a moment to stare down at his unconscious children, both cradled in his arms.

"I've always believed they deserved better. Perhaps your brother will see to it that they're finally granted the chance that their parents were never given. Do me a favor Nathan and Vincent Hunter. Consider it a dying old man's final request. Take our children and leave this place while you still can. My people and I will keep that monster busy long enough for you to escape."

"You sure about this?" Nate cautiously asked. "This is gonna hurt like hell when they wake up. We can say that for certain because we both know what it's like to lose a family member."

"We're aware. That's why we subdued them after they delivered Leanne to the shuttle. They can both be willful sometimes and tenacious, they've always been like that…"

Amber couldn't continue and took a moment to embrace her children and plant a kiss on both of their foreheads. Afterwards, she wept and the two remaining Hunter brothers couldn't help but sympathize.

"You reap what you sow. I suppose it is time for our harvest. Go Hunters. If possible, send my regards to Commander Leo and your father. I never met the Terminus Hunter but any man capable of gaining the lion's trust is a man worthy of respect. Also, tell my children and all the others that we love them and that their future is limitless…and that I'm sorry we won't be there to see it."

"I understand. We'll tell them and I'll be sure to tell Mal and Leo about you. I swear." Vince vowed.

"This may not mean much coming from me but your kids will be in good hands. I'm just the family fuck up and an okay assassin. I could never be counted on to do what my father does but Lou, he's different. He may not realize it but he is. It's not just him either. Vince, Liv, Ray, Jordy-They're all more reliable than me. Even the twins when they aren't playing their little games. Anyway, my point is that my big brother will look after them. We all will." Nate assured them.

After doing what he could to ease the concerns of the small army of vets, Nate picked up Elise's unconscious body and ran towards the last remaining shuttle while Vince closely followed behind him with Tobias slung across his shoulder. Neither of them looked back.

"They're good boys." Amber whispered while watching them board the aircraft.

"Yes, they are. Let's see to it that they can continue to live as such. Prepare yourself monster!"

* * *

"Ugh, my head."

Lucas found himself feeling extremely groggy after waking up aboard a Forgotten shuttle. Confusion quickly set in when he noticed that he was resting across Meena's lap.

"You shouldn't be moving. We still need to get you looked over once we reach the Fenrir." she gently cautioned while placing a hand across his face.

The shuttle was eerily quiet until the sound of a massive explosion and a slight vibration inside the vessel broke the silence. A few moments later, sobs and the sounds of crying.

"Who?" he quietly asked.

"All of the old pirates. I guess they weren't good-for-nothings after all." Meena informed him.

It was another successful operation but a costly one. He had a lot of work ahead of him and new people to look after but he owed them and their parents. He also had to consider everything he'd just learned and relay it all to his father. They would have to make plans, a lot of them.

"I'm tired."

"I know."

After shutting his eyes, he drifted back to sleep. It would be several hours before he'd open them again and once he did, preparations for the next mission would begin. His impending visit to Noveria couldn't be delayed any longer.


	42. Chapter 42 New Beginnings

Chapter 42: New Beginnings

"This is a lot to take in, Lou."

"I know Dad. I'm still sorting through it all myself."

Lucas Hunter was a man in desperate need of a good night's sleep or at least a nap but at the moment he found himself in the middle of a meeting with his father, surrogate uncle and brothers inside the quantum entanglement communications room of his ship. His return to the Fenrir had been marked by a frenzy of activity that mostly involved making arrangements for his new charges and collecting the youngest among them from Illium while he organized where they could all resettle. It had been an exhausting endeavor but luckily for him, he had a reliable counterpart in Rain who'd made the arduous task considerably easier. With the plans completed, the only remaining order of business was consulting with his father. And with a great deal of effort, he'd done just that after recounting everything that had occurred during his crew's most recent operation and informing the Terminus Hunter of the new info they'd learned during the mission.

"Mal, we should speed up the training of the new Fangs and vorcha infantry. We'll also need to escalate the reconstruction of the vorcha's Fifth and Seventh fleets." Leo recommended.

"Do it. I'll also contact Stan to see how our next gen particle weapons are coming along. I won't have our men using guns that are useless."

"To be fair, our current models aren't useless if you can modify the beam with biotics or take out shields with tech attacks." Vince explained.

"Quit bragging." Ray scoffed. "Look at me, I can drain shields and mod ammo cause I'm a smartass." he mockingly added while pretending to be Vince.

"That's a real sore spot for you, isn't it? But I guess it does make sense. You are the only Hunter in the room who can't mod rounds so…" Nate teased.

"Shut up."

"Take a good look, Leo. We might not see an image like this again for at least a few years. My boys, all together in one place. If Jordy was over there right now, it'd be perfect."

"It is a rare sight and one that warms the heart."

"That's enough. We don't need either of you crying on us. This won't become a habit so don't get your hopes up. Me, Lou and Nate _might_ fight a few more brawls together but the dumbass is heading back to Illium with the rest of his team." Ray firmly stated while glaring at Vince.

"We could stay on and help out."

"I appreciate that Vince but I need you guys in Nos Astra. Tiburon Rojo might try to pull something else and we need to maintain a strong presence planet side. I also want you to start calling everyone. Spread the word that the Beast of the Abyss needs all of his friends to be ready to move. With the other Terminus Wolf divisions, Fangs and treasures spread all across the Nemean Abyss and Terminus Systems, I know it'll take time but I'm gonna need them. I'll let you know when and where." Lucas explained.

"Lou, are you seriously planning to gather _everyone_?"

"Yeah, I am. Vince, this mess just keeps getting bigger and bigger the further we go. I started this operation for the sole purpose of taking down Augury, his SPECTRE thralls and the pirates. But the situation has changed or maybe it was always this complicated and I was just too blind to see it. There's gonna be an army bearing down on us before long, an army with at least two architects at the helm and we just saw for ourselves what their strongest one could do. We have to start evening the odds. Killing Augury just became a lot more important."

"That Oracle thing did sound pretty bad. Any chance he died when the dreadnought exploded?" Mal hopefully inquired.

"We doubt it. ACE picked up a reading in the aftermath. It was small but definitely a ship and it disappeared almost as soon as he identified it. That giant is still out there and seriously pissed off." Lucas explained.

"I'm still trying to figure out how that's even possible. There's no way that thing would've had time to reach a ship. The old Forgotten vets saw to that." Nate quietly added.

"Maybe he didn't. Maybe a ship came to get him after the dreadnought died."

"What are you saying?"

"It's simple, Ray. I think these things can survive the vacuum of space." Vince surmised with a grim expression.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I hope you're wrong." Nate quipped.

"The arbiters are hard enough to kill already, especially the elite ones like controllers. Then there are the regulators who seem to act as number twos for the architects. Taking the one on Heshtok down was difficult, beating the one on that dreadnought was damn near impossible. It took everything that me and Julian could throw at it to finally crush the bastard. That thing was no pushover and it actually managed to toss us both around like toys. Think about that for a minute and consider how an average soldier would stack up against one of those monsters."

Everyone present decided to heed his advice and took a moment to contemplate Lucas' assessment before finally resuming their conversation.

"Don't be such a downer, Lou. How about looking at the positives? The Forgotten have been dealt with, you took down another enemy commander, destroyed an arbiter dreadnought and most importantly, we saved Leanne and kept her out of those bastards' claws." Nate cheerfully summarized.

"How is she?"

"Just fine, Dad. Or as close to fine as she could be considering everything that happened and the fact that she had to hear about her uncle being killed." Nate replied glumly.

"I still find the news of Isaac Graham's death quite troubling."

"You and me both, Leo. Isaac was a good guy, genuinely kind and as honest as they come. He wasn't cut out to be a warrior but that didn't stop him from being a damned good one whenever the situation called for it. He and Hannah were always so happy together. Hannah…this can't be easy for her. I wonder how she and their kids are holding up. Isaac meant everything to her. Goddammit! What the hell are they doing over there?! How'd they let Isaac get mixed up in this?! If a member of the almighty Shepard family can't get proper protection, what hope does anyone else have?! I have half a mind to grab Angelica before-Shit. Angelica. My angel didn't need this right now, especially after losing Leon."

"This probably hurt her a lot more than she'll ever admit. And of course it had to happen when I can't be there for her."

"There's nothing stopping you, Vince. If you want to take a leave of absence-"

"I appreciate it Mal but no. I have to do what I can for our people and you heard Lou earlier. He's counting on me to reach out to everyone and get them all together. We have to be ready."

"Um, Dad? Are you planning to attend the funeral? I know you cared about Professor Graham and I'm pretty sure Leo and the others could cover for you while you're away."

"Lucas is right. If you feel you should pay your final respects and offer what support you can to Angelica, Libra and I can inform the others."

"The Terminus Hunter showing up at a Shepard family funeral? I don't think that would go over too well for anyone involved. They all made it pretty clear where we stood a few years ago and recent events have only clarified things further. Besides, I don't know when or where they're holding the service and I doubt they'll see fit to tell me. I'll find out where they've buried Isaac later and say my goodbyes on my own but right now I've got business that requires my personal attention. I'm in the middle of organizing a meeting for the Chaos Syndicate. We're all planning to gather on Omega where I'll officially introduce Lou to everyone. They've been looking forward to it."

"I can't wait." Lucas quipped.

"When you do meet them, be on your guard. These people represent the most powerful and influential factions in the entire Terminus Systems. A few even have influence that rivals our own. They're also dangerous, cunning, ruthless and in a few cases, completely depraved. Ordinarily, we try to avoid them with a few exceptions but the Leviathans pose a threat to all of us and our respective operations. And sometimes, one must join hands with the lesser of two evils." Leo solemnly explained.

"That reminds me of something your old subordinate said to Leanne. I don't suppose you remember the guy?" Nate pondered.

"Actually, I do. I recognized who you were referring to the moment you mentioned his name."

"How?"

"I was the one who gave it to him. Earnest, because of his straightforward nature. Equinox didn't make it a habit to name their soldiers. The Zodiac Commanders and Overlords were the only exceptions. Everyone else made do with a serial number but I chose to defy convention by giving a select few who served under my command names. Looking back on it, I suppose it was rather arrogant of me. After the war they may have even been insulted by the gesture."

"He chose to keep the name, Leo. It obviously meant something to him. The man respected you, I could tell." Vince assured him.

"Perhaps. I only wish the situation had turned out differently. Had I known so many of them survived the war, I could've helped."

"It may be too late for those vets but their kids won't suffer, I'll see to that myself. Rain and I have already completed the arrangements. We gave them a choice to settle anywhere they wanted but they all chose Cartagena Station. I figured they'd pick a colony." Lucas casually stated.

"They picked Cartagena because that's where you live, stupid." Ray informed him.

"What?"

"They want to stick close to you, big bro. It's not that surprising when you really think about it. You are the one responsible for giving them a chance." Nate explained nonchalantly.

"Good call by the way. Kids should always get a shot, that's what I believe." Mal cheerfully added. "On an unrelated note, what else have you learned about Binary Helix's involvement in this mishap?"

"Not much. We've got no hard evidence that connects them to the pirates or arbiters, just a bunch of circumstantial crap that won't get us anywhere." Lucas responded in agitation.

"Corporate collusion, you've gotta love it."

"Mal, shouldn't we be more worried about this?"

"Vince, I've gotten real used to people teaming up to take me down over the years. The fact that a few corporations might be trying their luck is actually a little flattering."

"He's right to be concerned. We have a lot of rivals who'd rejoice at our possible downfall. Binary Helix is a direct competitor to Lupine Industries. They'd benefit greatly from our demise and if they're assisting the Leviathans, that makes them even more dangerous. The matter with Tiburon Rojo is also troubling. If Elanus Risk Control Services have also joined this conspiracy-"

"Leo, calm down. We're no friends to ERCS but they are professionals and I respect them. I doubt they're part of this but we'll do some digging just to be sure. In the meantime, I want you boys to focus on Noveria and be careful. We may have a presence there but so does Binary Helix and a few other corporations. The good news is that we're on amiable terms with almost everyone else, especially Synthetic Insights. We're neutral with ERCS and that could be a problem considering the fact that they handle security on the planet. That means you won't be able to go in armed or-"

"Dafuq! Are you serious Dad?!" Ray instantly exploded.

"You're damn right I am. We agreed to the terms presented by the Noveria Development Corporation when we bought into the company and established a lab and office on the planet. You'll either play by their rules or stay on the ship. I mean it Ray. We can't afford to jeopardize our partnerships, especially on a planet that's actually outside the Terminus Systems but not governed by the Citadel."

"Dad, for once I can actually sympathize with Ray's superfluous rage. How exactly are we supposed to operate down there unarmed? Plus there's the fact that Binary Helix is also a member of the Noveria Development Corporation and one in good standing despite their past screw ups. Didn't they try to clone the rachni and turn them into weapons a few decades back? Those idiots are the entire reason we have them now in the present." Nate scoffed.

"They've officially denied responsibility for that and their involvement was never conclusively proven. Shepard did sort of purge the whole lab where it all took place and let's face it, Noveria exists so that corporations can play god behind closed doors. We're all just lucky that the rachni queen he freed was a peaceful one. Anyway, Giselle can help you out once you get there. She manages our Noveria branch of Lupine Industries and she's gotten accustomed to navigating all the red tape."

"Giselle, huh? It will be nice to see her again. She is the most graceful of our goddesses."

"Have you mentioned that to Leanne?"

"I'm allowed to admire the scenery, Lou. Don't get mad at me just because Rain keeps a vice grip on your-Uh, nevermind." Nate quickly recovered after catching sight of Leo's furious glare.

"Yeah, I think that's our cue to leave." Vince humorously announced.

"You really dug yourself deep this time, clown." Ray added while smirking at his brother.

"I think I'll go grab something to eat and take a nap. Zel'me did say I should stay in bed for awhile." Lucas quickly stated before departing the room with his brothers, leaving Nate behind to face his father and somewhat irate surrogate uncle.

"Well, I should probably get going too…"

"Stay." Leo sternly ordered while Mal chuckled. A few moments later, Leo joined him in his laughter.

"Um, what's going on?"

"Nothing, we just felt like screwing with you." Mal replied frankly. "I also wanted to get you alone so that I could ask you something important. Why didn't you tell me about Leanne?"

"Dad, I wanted to so many times. I knew that if there was anyone I could count on to understand, it was you. But there was just so much going on and all that friction between our families after that skirmish with those Alliance marines. I just…I don't know. Plus Leanne wanted to keep things under wraps and let's face it, I'm the last guy Ethan Shepard would ever approve of. He didn't even like her fake boyfriend."

"Fake boyfriend?"

"We, uh, we started seeing each other before she left Grissom. She lived so far away and was always getting attention so we decided to pretend she was spoken for to keep pests away and throw people off. A friend of hers agreed to play the part and he did a pretty good job. Even Angelica was convinced. She didn't figure out we were seeing each other until after Leanne and her fake boyfriend broke up."

"And you were okay with this stand-in posing as the real thing? Suppose he decided to get serious? Did you ever think of that?"

"Sure, but the guy was completely harmless. I was more worried about him falling for me to be honest."

After staring at his son for several seconds, Mal once again found himself laughing uncontrollably while Leo joined in.

"You have to give them credit Mal, it was a brilliant ruse."

"Tell me about it! They even managed to keep this whole thing hidden from our twin spymasters!"

After spending another minute laughing, both men finally settled down. "That was a good one. You and Leon were always the ones who could make my sides hurt at a moment's notice."

"Well, it's just me now. But don't worry, I'll be sure to pick up the slack."

"Nate, do you love her?"

"I do. The women and partying, none of it ever changed how I felt. I'm sorry if this complicates things for you and the Shepards but-"

"Just be with her. I already gave this same speech to Vince and someday I'll have to say something similar to Layla if she ever gets serious about that Hawkins brat. I don't give a flying fuck what's going on between me and the Shepards. None of that will ever involve you or the woman you love. People are gonna get pissed on both sides and Ethan will definitely have a thing or two to say about it but that's to be expected. Leanne is an only child and his little girl. I'd be surprised if he wasn't fuming once he hears about you two, especially with your reputation. But at the end of the day, it's your lives and your decision. Don't ever let other people dictate how you live or who you can be with. Okay?"

"Dad, I knew you'd understand. Thanks."

"If it becomes necessary, we'll both challenge your detractors. Mal isn't the only one who'll be lending you support. Remember that Nathan or should I say Ghost Fang? I was a fool not to recognize the similarities." Leo joked.

"So I've got the big bad wolf and the lion on my side. I guess that settles it, nobody will be hassling us. There is one more thing I'd like to discuss before we all get back to work."

"What is it?"

"Trials of the Maiden by Lady V." Nate replied while suppressing a laugh as a mischievous grin spread across his face.

The mutual looks of exasperation that immediately appeared on his father and uncle's faces were truly priceless.

* * *

"Do you have everything packed? Was there enough luggage to go around?"

"Yes, thank you. You've been so accommodating and everyone else has too. I don't know how I can ever repay-"

"Stop. Lou wanted to help all of you and he always follows through on his promises."

Rain took a moment to gently grasp Elise's hand while they shared a table in the ship's dining hall.

"How are you all coping? I know it couldn't have been easy losing your parents."

"We're managing somehow but the youngest are still pretty upset. They're just children and no child wants to face a life without their parents. It was nice of Lucas to come with us to get them. As awful as this situation has been, they were still happy about getting to meet him. I won't have the heart to tear them away later."

"We still have a few days before the transports and escorts arrive to bring you all to Cartagena. The children will have ample time to play with Lou and vice versa. I doubt he'll follow the doctor's advice and he can sometimes be a big kid himself."

Elise smiled before taking a moment to look around the room and savor the warmness of the ship. Everyone had been so welcoming despite the fact that she and her friends were former enemies. She was certain it had been due to the Hunter's influence. Nathan Hunter had been right. He and his brothers were completely different but very much the same where it really mattered.

"I'm still mad and it's not just me. Lou's squads are annoyed too. He could've used us all in that dreadnought operation."

"It wasn't a mission that required the use of a large force. Lou needed to be discreet and that meant using as few people as possible."

"Discreet? Grace, he blew the whole thing up."

"By accident and technically he killed it by disrupting the nerve center resulting in-"

"I get it. You don't have to explain your theory again."

The bickering back and forth conversation marked the arrival of Grace and Sonia who casually joined Rain and Elise at their table while continuing their argument.

"And what about Julian? Lou decided to bring him along."

"Julian's special and you know it."

"Oh, I do. I fantasize about how 'special' he is whenever I'm alone."

"You're terrible, I hope you know that. And I doubt Liv would approve."

"Liv has had more than enough opportunities to stake her claim. I'm more than welcome to window shop if I want."

"Ladies, we have a guest in case you've forgotten." Rain gently reminded them while suppressing a laugh."

"Forgotten? Real clever." Sonia sighed. "So, how is our visitor holding up?"

"I'm fine. I never got to thank you or the other Amazons for allowing me to share a quarters with you. I also wanted to thank Olivia for being so gracious but it seems like she's always busy."

"That can't be helped. She has a lot of responsibilities as the ship's XO and also-"

"And also spending all of her free time checking on Julian in the med bay. They're so cute." Rain finished before Grace could continue.

"The Crimson Tiger and the Void Slayer are involved with each other?" Elise asked in awe.

"Not officially but it's only a matter of time and everyone knows it. The bets have already begun." Rain joked.

"Poor Rabbit. I guess I'll have to cheer him up later." Sonia playfully remarked.

"While we're on the subject of infatuation, shouldn't you be more wary with Meena aboard? Her presence on the ship may only be temporary but we all know how fond she is of Lou." Grace cautiously inquired after glancing at Rain.

"That sort of anxiety is better suited to insecure little girls with no confidence in themselves or their relationships. Meena can throw herself at Lou all she likes, it won't change anything. Every fight she and I ever had was instigated by her and fueled by her own pathetic frustrations. She just can't let go. I almost pity her. But the fact remains-I'm stronger, smarter, prettier, younger and most importantly Lou loves me and only me. He proves how much he does every day and every night. So to answer your question, no, I don't have any reason to concern myself over one woeful woman who can't hold a candle to me." Rain confidently explained.

"You say that and yet you've repeatedly denied her request to join his division. Do I smell the faint scent of hypocrisy?" Sonia teased.

"More like your own pheromones whenever Julian's around." Rain calmly countered. "Do you know who else Lou loves? His vorcha and the feeling is mutual. It won't matter how many centuries pass or how many live and die under his command, he'll always love his vorcha and be happy to have a few following him. Meena will never understand that and her disparagement of them doesn't help her case."

"Rain?"

"Yes, Elise."

"How does Lucas choose who'll be part of his division? Are there certain requirements or-"

"Every soldier that serves under him simply volunteered and he accepted. He's never been the snobby type."

"I see. That's good to know."

"Elise?"

"Yes."

"You should meet Mal first. That's just a suggestion."

"I-I wasn't, I didn't, I was just wondering-"

The young woman's stammering triggered a bout of laughter that only served to embarrass her further until Rain embraced her. "So cute."

* * *

"How have you been?"

"Fine. I told you I would be back then, remember?"

"Right, sorry."

The rather uncomfortable exchange between two members of the Hunter family who hadn't seen each other in over a year only served to increase the already awkward atmosphere that was permeating the small elevator that they were both riding. Olivia and Vince had been avoiding each other ever since he and his team had arrived on the Fenrir several days earlier. His carelessness in choosing a lift and her desire to visit an injured friend had finally brought them face to face.

"Liv, listen. I'm sorry about what happened. I never meant to hurt you. You know that, right?"

"Why are you so determined to bring that garbage back up? I said I was fine, didn't I?"

"Then why did you suddenly drop out of my life and Angelica's? According to Sonia you blew off your friends too and disappeared for a whole month. Nobody knew where you were or what you were doing until you showed up on Omega with our brothers acting as escorts. What happened?"

"None of your business."

"That's the same answer I got from Nate and Ray. Even Lou's been tight-lipped about it. If Leon was here, he'd tell me-"

"Don't you dare!"

"What else did I miss?! What kind of trouble did you end up in because of what happened between us?! Just tell me!"

* * *

" _We're here for Liv."_

" _I guessed as much. She's a real handful, this one. But a little hallex calms her down easy enough. Correction, a copious amount of hallex. It also makes her a lot more docile."_

" _What did you-Liv, are you alright?! Her eyes, I don't think she even recognizes us!"_

" _Listen, I know who you guys are. I know who she is and I know how embarrassing this situation could get for your father if anyone found out about this. So allow me to make you an offer. You pay me a few credits, let's say ten million, and my little photo and video collection featuring your gorgeous sister posing for her boyfriend disappears. What do you say?"_

" _Nate, get Liv and cover her up. Ray, watch the doors. Leon, handle the guards. I'll deal with this piece of shit myself."_

" _Who are you? Nate? Get off! Let me go! I'm not done having fun yet!"_

" _Goddammit, what did you do to yourself?! Do you have any idea what you wandered into?! How long we've been looking for you?! How angry Dad will be if he finds out about any of this?!"_

" _I told you that asshole was trouble! We should've killed him the minute he showed up on the station and started making moves on her!"_

" _He'll wish he was dead once I find him."_

" _Gentlemen, I suggest you all calm down. This palace is full of security personnel, heavily armed security personnel. It's also part of Aulus Straion's domain. Even your father wouldn't risk crossing my boss."_

" _We killed everyone on our way in and this 'palace' will be nothing but a crater once we're done. To be honest, we don't know who Aulus is and we don't really care. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."_

" _N-Now let's be reasonable here. I've got backups. If anything happens to me-"_

" _Our adorable little sisters have already erased your backups. Just tell me one thing before I fuck you up. Where's Hugo?"_

" _I-I don't know! He disappeared after the party! I swear!"_

" _Hugo left me. Surprise, surprise. I got dumped."_

" _Damn it, Liv. How high are you right now? Stop crying. That lowlife isn't worth it."_

" _Liv, once you're sober we're all gonna have a long talk. But right now, the Beast of the Abyss is about get his claws bloody."_

" _G-Get away from me! Guards!"_

* * *

"Nothing happened, Vince. I just took some time off to sort through a few things, that's all."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care. Are we finished? Because I'm already late for my visit with Julian."

As the elevator stopped, Olivia quickly departed and began making her way towards the medical bay, leaving behind a worried older brother.

"So it was that bad, huh?" Vince sighed.

After entering the med bay, Olivia was greeted to the usual sight of Julian performing yet another one of his workout routines while Zel'me observed him with a slightly ravenous look in her eyes. After completing a pull-up using a bar that had been setup in the doorway that led to her office, Julian quickly dropped to his feet. He knew he'd been caught red-handed.

"Liv, this isn't what it looks like."

"Get back to your bed, now!" she ordered. "And you! You're supposed to be his doctor! Why didn't you stop him?!" she furiously demanded after turning to face her mildly aloof cousin.

"Because he's in perfect shape." Zel'me playfully responded from her seat by the door. "And because Rain keeps Lou locked up in their quarters all to herself when he's not working. I need to find some way to amuse myself, especially since I can't play with Nate anymore. He never struck me as the monogamous type."

"You're the worst doctor ever."

"I'll remember that the next time you need medical assistance."

"Get out."

"Excuse me? This happens to be my work area."

"Zel'me, would you mind giving us some time alone? I'd appreciate it." Julian politely requested.

"You see, that's how you ask someone for a favor. He's well-mannered and sexy, I can't imagine what he sees in you beyond the obvious physical appeal. Your temper and foul mouth tend to detract from your overall allure. You're also quite violent and quick to-"

"Go. Away." Olivia fumed, amusing Zel'me as usual.

Without another word, she cheerfully got to her feet and skipped away, leaving the two friends alone to talk.

"She's been getting on my nerves ever since I was a kid."

"She does seem to be quite good at provoking you."

"Anyway, how are you feeling? What am I saying? You were just doing pull-ups. Yesterday it was sit-ups and the day before that it was shadowboxing. You're completely obsessed and for no good reason. Your body is flawless and-What I mean is you should be resting."

"I realize that but I'm not accustomed to sitting still or worse yet, lying still."

"Just pretend you're meditating or better yet, do some actual meditating."

"That only occupies an hour of my day."

"That's all it takes to clear your head?"

"I tend to achieve clarity fairly quickly whenever I'm at peace."

"I wish I had your discipline."

After releasing a sigh, Olivia pulled up chair next to Julian's bed and took a seat.

"Is everything alright? You seem tired."

"That's because I am, Julian. I've spent the last few days reorganizing the Fang divisions in Nos Astra and repositioning our security forces outside the city. We can't afford to have any more mishaps in case someone tries to launch a two pronged attack again. The Forgotten may not be a threat anymore but Tiburon Rojo still is and there's no telling who else is plotting against us from the shadows. Normally I'd split the work with Lou or Rain but they've had their hands full making relocation arrangements for Elise, Tobias, their friends and all of the other Forgotten children. I'm exhausted."

"Are you busy right now?"

"No, why?"

"Then perhaps you could rest here for awhile. There are plenty of empty beds and it is rather quiet, when Zel'me isn't present of course."

Olivia responded by smiling. "That's sweet of you to offer but I can't."

"I understand. I suppose you have more work that will require your attention."

"Actually, I wanted to spend more time talking with you. We haven't gotten to see each other as much recently."

"That's true. My initial medical treatments did prevent us from speaking for awhile."

"You really scared the shit out of me when you first showed up. What the hell were you and Lou thinking?"

"That we had an enemy who needed to be defeated at all costs."

"I hate it when you talk like that and treat your life so carelessly."

"Liv, it wasn't my intention to make you worry but this is simply how I am."

"I know. You can be so frustrating sometimes."

"Perhaps I should model myself after someone less aggravating like Zeke or Garr or Vincent…"

"What? Why would you say something like that?"

"It just slipped out. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yes you did. Julian, are you jealous?"

"No, yes, no, I don't know."

"I can't believe it! My tiger is actually jealous!"

"Am I your tiger? Liv, what are we doing? The question must be asked at this point."

"I don't know, what _are_ we doing?"

"Fine, I suppose I'll be the one to say it. Olivia Hunter, I have feelings for you that go far beyond those of friendship. I spend every waking moment thinking about you and even the time I spend dreaming revolves around you. I consider the time we spend together as the highlight of my day and when we're apart, the world becomes grey in the absence of your brilliance. You're brash, reckless and quick-tempered but also beautiful, intelligent, reliable and strong. And I can no longer be a mere friend to you. I'm sorry but I can't."

Julian was already sitting up in his bed and gazing into Olivia's eyes with an intensity that was threatening to overwhelm her.

"I can't just be your friend anymore either. You're so quiet and withdrawn when it comes to strangers and you put up walls to keep people from getting close. But when you finally let them in, you exude a warmth that nothing in the galaxy can match. You're kind, honest, humble and dependable. The truth is, I think about you all day too. And all night…"

Neither of them knew exactly when their lips first met but once they did, they remained connected for several minutes as the two former friends finally expressed the long burgeoning feelings that they had for each other. When they finally separated, Olivia found herself lying on top of Julian and slightly out of breath.

"I've made mistakes, Julian. I'm not like other girls."

"I'm aware of that. If you were, I doubt you would've captured my heart in the first place."

She couldn't help but kiss him again after the remark and even more passionately than before.

"Stop making me fall for you even more. We need to take this slow. You're more important to me than you realize and I want this to work."

"I understand and I agree. It may be hard at times-"

"That's pretty obvious right now."

"Liv, I'm being serious."

"I know and I appreciate it. Julian?"

"Yes?"

"One more before I go."

Before he could respond, she had already locked her lips to his and their next kiss carried on for several heated minutes as they both threw caution to the wind.

"Okay…"

Vince found himself quite dumbfounded and surrounded by a small mob as the entire crew deck gathered around to observe the steamy exchange through the windows outside the med bay.

"Tough luck bro, you're officially old news." Nate joked while placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, pay up! Half of you bastards owe me credits!" he shouted. "And somebody make sure Ray and Rabbit don't stumble down here to see this."

"I just wanted to head to the dining hall for a sandwich. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them but why did I have to walk by at this exact moment? And why couldn't they close the curtains?" Lucas lamented.

"So cute!" Rain beamed while bouncing up and down beside him.

"Easy come, easy go." Sonia sighed.

"I think I'll find Ray and keep him occupied." Grace quickly offered before disappearing.

"Tiger and Dragon? Good match, powerful match." Thorn mused.

"Perhaps his hesitation did help in the end. Curious." Garr pondered.

"I think I'll give them another five minutes before I interrupt. I am a bastion of generosity after all." Zel'me pleasantly stated.

"Damn, Kid Bushido is really going in. Should we be watching this?"

"I always considered Julian a gentleman. I suppose I was mistaken."

"Liv chose well. Julian's strong and dedicated. Mal should be pleased."

"Dylan, Zeke, Meena, when did you guys get here?" Vince wearily asked while shutting his eye and pinching the bridge of his nose in utter exasperation.

"Just now. We got off the elevator and noticed the crowd." Dylan explained. "This really is a fun ship."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along? I know how much your uncle meant to you."

"Nate, I'll be fine. It means a lot that you're willing to leave for me but you still have work to do and I understand that. Once this is all over we'll see each other again."

"Lunch on Illium?"

"Stupid."

After playfully teasing her, Nate embraced Leanne and held her for several minutes. They were in the middle of saying their goodbyes in the hangar bay of the Fenrir where she was preparing to leave with her other grandfather, Jacob Taylor. He was standing outside a shuttle with Lucas who'd just completed the arrangements for a small escort to accompany them back to Alliance Space.

"Shepard's gonna love this."

"What about you? Are you ready to raise hell over my brother being with your only granddaughter?"

"Not yet. I believe everybody should get a chance and he hasn't blown his yet. That's more than I can say for Ethan when he was around his age."

"It's a shame more of the Shepards aren't like you Mr. Taylor."

"Lucas, I want to say this now in case we don't get a chance to meet again. I know the situation between Mal and the Shepards is tense but I don't want that to affect things between us. I'm grateful to you and your brothers for what you did. You saved Leanne and you kept her safe. That means more to me than you'll ever know. Your father raised some damn good sons in my opinion."

"We just did what we could. There's still a lot more left though. To be honest, I don't really want to send Leanne back with you. Between her getting abducted and Professor Graham's death, it sounds like the Shepards are walking targets right now. If anything happened to her, Nate would lose it. Our families may not always see eye to eye but we do look out for each other whenever we can and we won't be able to look out for any of you guys after this. Our battles just won't allow it."

"I'm not gonna pretend I'm not worried too. That business with Isaac really hit home in a bad way. Then this mess with Leanne…all I can say is that protection around the family has been increased and the funeral will have the tightest security measures the Alliance can provide."

"Where's it being held?"

"On Isaac's home colony, Yandoa. It's already shaping up to be a pretty big deal. Practically all of Grissom Academy is gonna be there and the family and 'extended' family. Representatives from the Sirta Foundation, politicians, soldiers, and scientists from all across the galaxy are also planning to attend. On top of that, the whole service is set to be broadcast across the extranet."

"Mr. Taylor, that sounds kind of-"

"Intrusive and messed up? I agree. But there were a lot of people who wanted to pay their respects, especially from the school. It got a little out of hand and here we are. I've gotta give it to him though, Shepard's handling it with class. In public anyway."

"Well, at least Dad will get to see it."

After thinking of his father, Lucas couldn't help but wonder what was happening back at home. It had been awhile since they'd all left and there were three Hunters who were still there and probably driving his parents insane.


	43. Chapter 43 Tough Love

Chapter 43: Tough Love

"So, are we all set?"

"Everyone has agreed to the meeting. It's simply a matter of waiting for them all to arrive now."

"Good. I'll have Lou and the others meet us on Omega once they finish their business on Noveria."

"This will certainly be interesting."

Mal didn't bother trying to read Aria's expression as they faced each other from opposite ends of his computer console. He knew it would be pointless despite how long he'd known her. He instead opted to take a sip of his hot cocoa while easing back into his chair and savoring the peaceful ambience of his office. After casually placing his feet across his desk, he glanced back at his computer and noticed that his old mentor was still there.

"Is there something else?"

"Yes and you know what it is. The request you made at our last gathering is still being considered by everyone."

"Let me guess, stinginess and paranoia are clouding your collective judgment."

"This is no small matter, Mal. We all have a vested interest in maintaining our personal deterrents."

"Really? Well, that settles it then. The Leviathans can just plow through our turfs without a fight. Game over."

"Does Tess find this sarcasm cute? I'm sure Virgo does. Doctor Zoral may find it charming as well."

"What are you getting at?"

"Nothing at all. I'm simply thinking out loud. Have you read any good books lately? There's a certain bestseller circulating right now that has a remarkably well written idiot among its chief characters."

Mal chose to ignore her taunt. He knew exactly what book she was referring to and its popularity was beginning to annoy him. More than a few of his friends had become fans of the sultry piece of literature and figured out who the author was. In doing so they'd also easily identified who the author's source of inspiration was and mocked him rather relentlessly. His youngest daughters had caught on too and poked their share of fun at their father's expense.

"Back on topic, I need a commitment Aria and soon. The arbiters have changed the landscape of this war. I've had to alter a few of my plans and one of those revisions is going to require certain tools. I can't make do with the items I have, there's just not enough. Time is also a factor here. The sooner I get what I need, the sooner my tech guys can get to work."

"Can you guarantee this mystery strategy of yours will even work?"

"No, but at the very least it'll buy us some time until my big project can be completed. I can promise you that one will work as long as everything else goes according to plan."

"You still haven't shared any details about these secret plans or projects and yet you expect us to trust you with our final gambits. Reputation and goodwill can only get you so far, Mal."

"Lou just blew up an arbiter dreadnought and dealt with the Forgotten. Before that, he and his people wiped out the batarian raiders and in the process killed another detachment of arbiters while preventing a deal between them and those lowlife slave dealing asswipes. During that same operation Liv killed one of the rogue, brainwashed SPECTRES and Ray killed another one even earlier. This is all on top of the fact that they fought off an army of arbiters, pirates and mercs who attacked Heshtok. That invasion cost me a son and saw his brother and sister stand against odds that nobody should ever have to face. My family has been holding the monsters at bay Aria and you've all benefited. None of you have suffered a single disruption in your operations since my children set off on their mission. The fact is, they've removed half of your headaches and it didn't cost any of you a damned thing. Fuck goodwill, you all owe me and you know it."

Aria remained silent while staring back at her former protégé. His points were all valid but his tone left much to be desired. Had he been anyone else, she would've already begun drafting a plan to eliminate him.

"Margon and Loru happen to agree but then again, they are the ones you do the most business with."

"They also happen to be the only members of the Syndicate that I actually like other than you."

"Should I feel honored?"

"Sure, why not? You know I love you Aria."

"If that were true you'd be more open to sharing a few of the finer points regarding your little schemes."

"Weren't you the one who told me never to trust anyone?"

"It's a lesson you take to heart only when it suits you. How many of your Wolves know the full extent of your plans?"

"Fewer than you think. I don't want to argue with you, Aria. You can either trust me to get the job done by providing what I asked for or don't. It's that simple."

"I hope your son proves to be less obstinate than you once he takes your place."

"Good luck with that."

"I'll continue thinking it over but as of right now, I'm not pledging anything."

"That's something at least and the best I can hope for when it comes to the Pirate Queen. I'll see you at the meeting."

After saying his goodbyes, Mal resumed his lounging. It had been awhile since he'd had a proper break from his work and the downtime felt good. After finishing his mug of cocoa, he slowly got to his feet and stretched his limbs before strolling out of his office towards the kitchen. While crossing the foyer, he noticed that the closet near the front door of his mansion had been left ajar. Closer inspection revealed that it had been filled with a large assortment of jackets and hoodies that didn't belong to any of his kids.

"So we've got company again." he casually mused before releasing a yawn and continuing his trek.

As he sauntered into the kitchen, he quickly kissed his wife who was in the middle of setting the table for breakfast. "That doesn't look like enough plates based on how many coats I just saw crammed in our closet."

"Jordy invited a few friends over. They all filled up on doughnuts earlier so they won't be joining us." Tess explained.

"What about our little spymasters? Or are they dieting again?"

"Layla and Sasha are helping Jordy entertain our guests."

"So they aren't arguing with each other for once?"

"Not yet but the day is still young. It won't be long before our baby and his sisters end up squabbling again. Enjoy the peace while it lasts." Tess joked.

"Three teenagers this close together, what were we thinking? This is worse than what we went through with the triple threat. And the Nate/Ray combo. Damn it, we didn't plan any of this right." Mal humorously complained.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yours for being so irresistible."

After paying her his compliment, Mal pulled his wife into an embrace and kissed her again before releasing her and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"So, what are we having?"

"Not pancakes."

After groaning his disapproval, the head of the Hunter family decided peruse a few news articles on the extranet using his omni-tool.

"Isaac…"

The name quietly slipped from his mouth after viewing one of the numerous headlines that detailed the arrangements for Isaac Graham's funeral.

"You should go." Tess urged after quietly approaching and wrapping her arms around her husband. "We know better than anyone what they're going through."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. Mal, you aren't the sort of man to let petty grudges-"

"No Tess, I mean I really can't. The service is being held less than a day from now. There's no way I'd make it there in time. It's just as well anyway. Me attending the funeral would just cause a scene and embarrass Angelica, not to mention distract people from the ceremony."

"Are you still letting what happened at the last family function bother you? That wasn't your fault."

"It doesn't matter. I am who I am and that in itself causes problems for her. Let's just drop it."

Before Tess could pursue an argument, they were both greeted by the arrival of two friends who always managed to brighten the mood.

"Perfect timing, Tess was just about to poison me. Libra the kitchen is all yours." Mal joked causing his wife to hit him.

"They're guests. Leo, Libra, have a seat. I hope you don't mind eggs."

"Eggs…sound delicious Tess." Leo reluctantly replied before shooting Libra a worried look.

"Tess, why don't you let me help? We can talk about the kids and try a few new recipes I recently ran across." Libra offered. She didn't give her hostess time to respond before darting past her and taking control of the breakfast preparations.

"You two really saved me. I love my flower but I hate when it's her turn to cook. Basic pancakes and toast are the only things she's halfway decent at making."

"What about cereal?"

"Leo, you don't want to know. She once tried to jazz up cornflakes and almost killed me and Jordy. We were throwing up for an hour. The twins were smart enough to feed theirs to Jin who buried it in the backyard. Do you know how insane that is? I once survived on Tuchanka for months living off klixen meat and worse but nothing comes close to the horror that she fed us that day. I'm just glad none of the kids took after her in that department except for Liv. Like mother, like daughter I guess."

"That doesn't even make any sense. Pancakes are obviously more complicated. Cereal merely requires milk and a bowl."

"The way I figure it, she got plenty of practice making pancakes over the years thanks to me, Lou and Jordy. The three of us love them. Everything else is basically a crapshoot."

Leo found himself chuckling at Mal's candor, which instantly drew Tess' attention as she fought to gain some measure of control over her kitchen.

"What are you telling him, Mal?"

"Nothing, we're just talking shop about some of the new recruits. A few are too green for their own good. You know how it is."

Both men continued to quietly laugh until another visitor announced her arrival. "Good morning all." Virgo cheerfully announced before immediately taking a seat by Mal. "Good morning handsome." she whispered before kissing his cheek.

"It's too early for me to shoot at you. At least wait until after I've had my coffee." Tess scoffed.

"Nuisance, make yourself useful and bring me the milk." Libra added.

"I decline. Mal and I have business to discuss. But by all means, keep working. The last thing we need is another culinary disaster resulting from one of Tess' botched attempts at cooking. My lover's tummy can't take much more."

After taking a moment to gently rub Mal's stomach, Virgo effortlessly slowed the salvo of silverware that had been tossed at her by Tess using her biotics before gently dropping the assortment of knives and forks onto the table.

"So nice to see that time hasn't cooled that temper of yours. You do realize Liv has inherited your bad habits?"

"After I've eaten, taken my shower and gotten dressed, I'm going to dig up my old Black Widow and see how well it's held up over the years. I suggest you not be here when I do." Tess warned.

"She's so charming in the morning, isn't she?"

"Virgo, what are you doing here?"

"I came to discuss the specifics for publishing the next installment of-"

Mal quickly cut her off by placing his hand over her mouth and lowering both of their heads beneath the table. He regretted the move almost immediately when she kissed him again after being released, only this time on the lips and with far less restraint. Afterwards, she took a moment to appreciate her secret publisher's appearance.

"I see I woke someone else up with that kiss." she playfully mused while looking beneath Mal's waist.

"Goddammit-Okay, calm down me. She's just being Virgo. Take a deep breath. Wait, what's that smell? Perfume? That's your new scent isn't it? Entice. It smells really good-What the hell is wrong with me? Virgo why are you wearing perfume this early?"

"To turn you on."

"I just can't win with you, can I?"

"If only that were true. We could be sunbathing in our secret spot or making love beneath the stars after professing our passion for each other."

"You're killing me, slowly but surely. So what's the deal with the book?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I've written all the way up to volume twelve and they're all ready to be released at your leisure."

"Why did I ever let you talk me into this?"

"Because you'd recently acquired a publishing company by chance and had nothing to actually publish. I being my infinitely gracious self offered to help you out and here we are, purveyors of the most successful romance novel in the entire galaxy. I heard we even got a movie offer."

"Let me guess? Lira went running her mouth off again. Yeah, we got an offer."

"That's wonderful! Just imagine it, a film in the same vein as Fleet and Flotilla. I can't wait to get started on the script."

"Fleet and Flotilla she says. I don't remember that flick having any romance scenes that were half as explicit as the stuff you wrote."

"So you do read my work."

"Of course I read it. I'm your editor too, remember?"

"So tell me, did it give you any ideas?"

Mal simply shook his head in complete exasperation before finally lifting himself back to the top of the table.

"What were the two of you doing?" Tess asked suspiciously after he'd returned.

"We were obviously making out behind your back." Virgo humorously responded after returning herself, agitating Tess even further. "If you must know, we were discussing Trials of the Maiden."

Her response caused Libra to drop a spoon in embarrassment.

"Oh, my. Don't tell me that the prim and proper Libra is a fan?"

"Of course not!"

"Leo?"

"She owns every volume and reads them all the time."

"Leo!"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Libra. We all have our hobbies." Leo assured her.

"I can't believe this. Why is everyone so addicted to that dribble? Rika, Lira, Taya, Hildy, even Ryla and Maura. I caught Layla and Sasha reading that garbage too. What's wrong with everyone?"

"So I take it you're not a fan?" Virgo asked while suppressing a laugh as Mal glared at her.

"Nope but I've never really been the girly girl type. I'm a total tomboy, always have been. All I need are my monthly issues of guns and grenades plus the occasional history book." Tess explained.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for Mal. I never realized you were such a prude."

"What makes you say that? We don't need some trashy romance novel to spice things up. That's what imagination is for…and porn."

Her response caused an immediate reaction within the kitchen as Libra dropped another spoon while Leo choked on the orange juice he'd poured for himself and Virgo went speechless.

"I-I'm sorry but did I hear you correctly?" she finally managed after a minute of silence.

"Yeah, what's the big deal? We're two married adults with a lot of curiosity. My tough guy really likes that Asari Confessions series. A little yoga a few times a week makes me flexible enough to bend-"

"Stop!" Virgo replied in a fluster. "I-I don't need to hear any more."

"Eight children, a lot of things have become clearer." Leo whispered in a somewhat wry manner.

"I just wanted to have a nice peaceful breakfast for once." Mal sighed.

* * *

"Okay, you've all been doing pretty well these past few weeks but now things are gonna get tougher."

"We can handle it!"

"Yeah, stop going easy on us!"

"This whole thing was your idea and you haven't provided us with a proper tutor yet."

"Matthias is right! You can't back out now, Jordy!"

As Jordan faced his rather large gathering of friends in the backyard of his family's mansion, he couldn't help but sympathize with their annoyance. Since their last meeting he'd managed to arrange a few shooting lessons for everyone under his mother's supervision at their private gun range. He'd also taught them all a few basic self defense maneuvers with the help of his more experienced classmates but they were all beginning to grow impatient. There was only so much he could show them and he certainly wasn't an expert, in his opinion anyway.

"Cut Jordy some slack. It's not easy getting a Terminus Wolf veteran to give up some free time in order to tutor a bunch of amateurs."

"Listen to Wes, he's the only one here other than Cherish and Jordy who gets personal instruction from some of the top guys." Travis casually added.

"You mean besides his highness' sisters."

"Is that a hint of disapproval I detect? Do you happen to have a problem with us, Matthias? If so, by all means share."

Both Layla and Sasha proceeded to glare at the youth following Sasha's remark, causing him to flinch.

"N-No, I j-just think that-What about his teachers? Why can't they help instruct us?"

"Libra and Rika both refused. They said we should concentrate on being normal teenagers and I haven't mentioned it to Dad yet."

"Typical. We fought alongside the Fangs during the campaign to liberate my home world and they still treat us like children." Damen scoffed.

"Jordy? Have you or Cherish tried convincing Taya?" Layla inquired while pondering the situation.

"Mother says we're too young to be educated in the ways of war. She was already reluctant to train me and even more hesitant about the others lending their expertise."

"This sucks. None of your brothers, Liv or any of the older treasures had to go through this crap. Just look at Julian. He started getting training from Mal, Rika and Libra when he was even younger than us." Travis complained while pacing beside Jordan.

"Haven't you and Damen been coached by his uncle and that old Fang commander Barney? You hardly have any reason to complain." Matthias irritably responded.

"You know, for a guy who was completely against this plan just a few weeks ago, you've really pulled a three sixty."

"I had reservations like any sane person would, that doesn't mean I don't support the goal."

"Whatever. You're not winning Cherish back, loser."

Travis' insult combined with the lingering frustrations that everyone was experiencing quickly boiled over and caused an explosion of bickering and arguments that spread like wildfire among the gang of youths.

"If we keep going like this, I wouldn't blame the top guys for ignoring us." Wes sighed after approaching the twins.

"Their negligence hardly concerns you. You're one of our father's golden kids and his student. That's a high honor that very few have been given, even within our family. Until recently the only children he bothered to personally teach were Lou and Julian. But now he's tutoring you and Jordy. He must see something special." Sasha explained while carefully studying Wes.

"You also got Mason's attention which is practically unheard of. He's never bothered mentoring anyone." Layla added while smirking at her sister's preoccupation with their peer.

"I just got lucky, that's all. Jordy was the only guy in class I could spar with and not put in the hospital. Mal and Mason happened to see us one day and decided to take me under their wings. I'm nothing special, just a guy who likes a good fight."

"Nothing special? I disagree. I see plenty that's special about you."

"Are you actually flirting with me, Sasha?"

"Do you object?"

"Only if it doesn't go anywhere."

"And exactly where would you like it to go?"

"I'm going to save you both a lot of time and worthless innuendo. Wes, Sasha loves Italian food and horror movies. Our curfew is at ten but we always manage to butter up Dad into letting us stay out until midnight. Pick her up at seven and don't be late."

"Layla, you take all the fun out of life sometimes." Sasha complained while pouting.

"So, seven?"

"See you then."

Layla rolled her eyes as Sasha and her future date ogled each other while the bickering across the yard continued. It didn't cease until the adults in the house arrived to investigate the commotion.

"What's going on out here?"

"Dad! We were just, uh, having a discussion."

"Jordy, you and I already talked about this. Your friends aren't ready."

"Mom, they are. We all are."

"Somebody want to explain what this is about?" Mal asked in confusion.

"It appears our youngest treasures and their friends wish to pursue the paths of warriors." Leo surmised.

"Is that true?" Mal asked the small assembly of teenagers.

"Yes!"

"Well too bad, now go play or something. If you need a few credits I can go grab my-"

"Dad! Just hear us out!"

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Everyone here is prepared to put in the work. All we're asking is that you and the Wolves give us a few pointers."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking you why your friends are suddenly so eager to learn how to fight. Just a few weeks ago you were all begging me to let you remodel the school's auditorium for your next dance. Now out of the blue you all want to be soldiers. Explain that to me."

"Mal, we know we're special. The arbiters and Leviathans can't hack our brains. You're gonna need us."

"You too, Wes? I thought you were smarter than this. I don't need any of you. Not as soldiers, not in a battlefield, not in a Fang division and not in the Terminus Wolves. None of you has any idea what it takes to make it in our military. You don't just walk in on a whim because you're bored or because you think you deserve it more than someone else who's worked twice as hard for twice as long. So you have an advantage against one type of enemy? So what? That doesn't make you special. If anything, it'll probably make you lazy. The arbiters have a lot more at their disposal than simply frying their victim's brains. Now, I'm only gonna say this one more time. Go out and play. Be normal kids. Go to the movies, go on dates, talk about the latest vids, gossip, play some sports, whatever. But drop this and don't ever bring it up again."

"No."

The defiance came from the very last person Mal ever expected to challenge him and quickly drew the attention of everyone present. Jordan was steadfastly facing his father and didn't appear to be backing down anytime soon.

"Dad, they know what they're getting into and so do I. You can't just blow us off because we're the youngest."

"Jordy, don't do this." Tess pleaded.

"No, let him keep going. This should be good."

"We may not be adults but we aren't kids either. We know what's at stake. You can try to hide the details about what's going on outside the station and across the rest of the galaxy but we aren't stupid, Dad. Isaac Graham is dead and he was killed by an arbiter, wasn't he?"

"So you know how to use the extranet. Well done. That still doesn't make you a soldier."

"Then why are you training me?"

"Maybe I'm just bored Jordy. You're my last pup after all. It's not like you've shown me anything impressive so far."

"If I do will you agree to help everyone? Will you give us approval to take on some serious training?"

"Is that what you all want?"

The mob of youths instantly voiced their agreement while Mal observed them all. After staring into their faces he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic and sad. He could remember the day he'd discovered them all inside the last Equinox laboratory that he'd fought his way inside after the war many years earlier.

"Headstrong and stupid, that's what all of you are." he finally sighed. "It was supposed to be different with you guys."

"Mal, it is what they want."

"Leo, no! We all agreed!" Libra argued.

"Mal, don't let them do this. I don't want any more children being prepped for a slaughter. Not after…they're all our babies."

"They've had it too easy, Tess. And it's exactly because they're the babies."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jordan angrily responded.

"Shut up and listen. None of you knows what true evil is or what it means to stand against something completely overwhelming with the odds stacked against you. Equinox was a shitty organization and as awful as they come. But they were also brilliant, I have to acknowledge that much. They did create all of us after all and a whole lot more."

"Everyone here knows that. We all learned about Cerberus and Equinox in our history classes." Cherish explained.

"Then a bit of perspective from someone who lived under their control should give you an additional understanding of how arrogant and cruel they truly were." Leo calmly responded while observing the teens. "Every soldier that fought under their command was a new breed of humanity. Genetically engineered clones, enhanced humans and of course, the cream of the crop-superhumans, their greatest achievement. Us. Their clones were disposable, stronger than an average human but always expendable. The enhanced humans were generally biotics that they'd abducted and stolen. Children who were usually the results of their intentional 'accidents' with element zero exposure. Candidates who were raised, augmented and conditioned to become future phantoms, dragoons and of course overlords, their most elite biotic operatives. Fearless, ruthless and more powerful than any typical human biotic. They were also physically stronger and granted longer lifespans, twice that of ordinary human beings."

"Dad, what does any of this-"

"Don't interrupt him." Mal sternly warned. The topic was a personal one for many reasons.

"And then there were superhumans. The pinnacle of all their painstaking research on how to perfect the human genome. Stronger, faster, natural born biotics of unparalleled caliber with lifespans that rival asari and krogan. We were to be their salvation, their justification for all the ills they'd committed. But even we weren't immune to their malice. Every four years, they would create a new generation of our kind and subject them, us, to unspeakable experiments designed to test the limits of what we could endure and draw out our full power. Those who survived would eventually become Zodiac Commanders while the rest…even the survivors carried scars and many of us were forever warped by what we'd experienced. Cursed to become monsters of our masters' making and unleashed on the rest of the galaxy. We would go on to kill and destroy in the name of Equinox and human domination while they continued their research and created even more children, none of whom would survive. Only the results of their first attempt at developing superhumans would live to become Zodiac Commanders and eventually be forced to fight their predecessor who'd lived a very different life."

Leo took a moment to look at Mal who placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.

"So we battled and many fell but a few of us decided to alter our course while we were still able. We joined our wayward brother and his Wolves and we never looked back. Meanwhile, Equinox dabbled further and further into the taboo, fusing men with machines on a cellular level. Several of their newer generation superhumans were matured at an accelerated rate and underwent nano-fusion with the ZEN in an effort to ascend to something greater. Death is all that awaited them in the end. It was the same fate that befell Equinox itself and everything that they'd created. Almost everything."

"You're all so lucky and you don't even realize it. We've pampered and protected you for so long…ever since we found you inside those awful places." Libra quietly reminded them while taking Leo's hand and resting her head on his chest.

"I'd rather they be a little spoiled than suffer the alternative." Virgo added. "I'm sure you all know what happened next. The three of us traveled with Mal and together we rescued all of the superhuman children who hadn't died under Equinox's care. There were survivors of their previous development cycle, dozens of four year olds who'd been marked for termination but spared thanks to a few duplicitous scientists who wanted to study them further against their superiors' wishes. Innocents who never knew the warmth of a home or family. Then there were the infants who'd yet to be born, serene little babies still floating inside their tanks, blissfully unaware of the fate they'd managed to avoid and untainted by Equinox's depravity. And finally, all of you. The most fragile treasures we discovered hidden deep within the final lab that we explored. Barely developed embryos sealed inside a heavily fortified cryo stasis chamber. The notes at the terminal near your test tubes lamented how you were all failures and wouldn't survive your gestation periods. But we took you anyway, cared for you and watched you grow. It took longer than we expected-weeks became months, months became years and all the while, we had other treasures who were growing up and clamoring to follow us. We also had new treasures being born. Tess gave birth to more of Mal's children while Leo and Libra had a few of their own. We enjoyed those days more than anything. And while we busied ourselves raising the new additions, all of you eventually matured."

"Jordy's birthday. That was the same day all of you finally arrived after years of growing inside your tanks. That was a big day for me. Right after Jordy popped out, I had to dash across the district to help Taya with you guys." Mal fondly reminisced.

"The twelve of you," Leo began before glancing at Jordan, "no, thirteen. You all represent the final gifts that we were granted. It's for that reason that we've done everything in our power to prevent you from walking the same paths as the others."

"We let them grow up too fast. They didn't all become soldiers but we did teach them all how to fight and I regret that. It was too much, too early, too soon. That's why when it came to my baker's dozen, I decided to hold back for the most part. Jordy, Cherish and Wes are the exceptions for a lot of reasons but the rest of you are just average teenagers. And I intend to keep it that way. The oldest treasures, the ones who can still remember what it was like to live under Equinox's grip, they know what it means to stand against the void. The others who grew up never knowing about them don't have a clue but they do have resolve and so do our oldest children. You brats have enthusiasm and nothing else. In a few weeks, you'll all move on to something new and forget about this whole ridiculous idea and I'll be glad. I didn't raise any of you to become soldiers. I wanted you all to choose something you loved and pursue it with everything you had. Now for the last time, go play." Mal fervently explained.

The area remained quiet as Mal's children, the youngest treasures and Jordan's friends exchanged glances.

"What about us?" Travis finally asked in a casual manner. "Me and Damen aren't part of your precious baker's dozen so we're free to risk our lives, right?"

"Indeed, it seems we're in a unique position to defy you without actually defying you." Damen added while smiling.

"Don't push me. Damen, if I have to get Cralle to set you straight, I will. Travis, I'll personally put a foot in your ass if you try testing me."

"I know you will, that's why I'm doing it. I owe you Mal, you and my friends. I may just be another orphan that you happened to rescue but the fact that you did means a lot to me. I know what would've happened if you hadn't found me on Korlus and killed those slavers. I know what would've happened if Jordy and Damen hadn't sat next to me on my first day of school. And I know what will happen if we don't beat the arbiters and Leviathans. I'm in this to win it, old man." Travis defiantly explained.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Damen added.

"Dad, we've all discussed this and we all agreed. You can't coddle us anymore. We aren't all planning to become warriors but that won't stop us from learning how to fight like them. We've made our decision."

"Dad, they just want to help."

"A little practice here and there won't hurt anyone."

"Be quiet."

The harshness of his tone caught Mal's daughters by surprise. They were quite used to getting their way and rarely got scolded by their father.

"You still don't get it. None of you gets it. There's no going halfway here. If you do this, you'll be in it for the long haul. We don't care if you aren't all planning to become soldiers, that won't stop us from training you as if you were. We go all out and once you start, there's no turning back. You won't just learn how to handle a pistol, you'll learn how to use every firearm there is and aim flawlessly. You won't just learn a few basic hand-to-hand maneuvers, you'll master at least one martial art perfectly before moving on to another one and another one and you'll keep going until you can't pick up anything else. And you won't just learn how to control your biotics, you'll push your powers to the absolute limit and develop a specialty that suits your skills. These are the trials that every soldier who joins the Fangs endures. And the ones who end up becoming Terminus Wolves are the absolute best. Do you understand? That's the kind of commitment it takes to walk with the big dogs."

"Do you see us flinching?" Jordan stubbornly persisted while his friends cheered their approval.

"Clear the yard." Mal suddenly ordered while staring his son down.

"Mal, don't-"

"He wants to prove they're ready, Tess. He said it earlier and now it's time for him to man up. You hear me Jordy? You're gonna show me exactly how serious you are about this."

"Get ready, Dad."

A few seconds later, everyone in the backyard had retreated to the edges of the garden in an effort to give father and son some space to settle their disagreement.

"Your friends still think this is all a game but Cherish and Wes know better. In a few minutes, the rest will too."

"They all know how important-"

"Shut up and come at me. Let's see if you've been practicing."

The moment Mal finished his taunt, Jordan rushed at him and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which his father blocked before finally retaliating with a single punch to the stomach that dropped the overeager youth.

"Your form is sloppy and your stance is weak. You've been spending too much time brawling with Wes."

Undeterred, Jordan quickly leapt back to his feet only to be tossed across the yard by his father who then yawned. "I still haven't had my breakfast yet Jordy and you're starting to waste my time. Libra was in the middle of making coffee cake."

Jordan once again returned to his feet and this time he began circling his father while adopting a defensive stance. He gradually shortened the space between him and Mal while maintaining his guard before eventually closing in for a frontal assault. His father prepared to block his maneuver yet again but before he could Jordan disappeared and reappeared behind him before executing a double palm strike reinforced by his biotics. The attack was instantly warded off by a barrier that Mal erected and Jordan received a wheel kick to the face for his troubles.

"Already pulling out biotics? Okay pup, let's see what you've got."

"Mal! His nose is bleeding! You might've broken it!" Tess shrieked.

"It'll heal. Bruises recover faster than pride, right Jordy?" Mal casually responded as his son struggled to back to his feet. "I am a little bit surprised though. I didn't think any of you would learn how to do that teleporting stuff. That's always been Angelica's specialty."

Jordan ignored Mal's cavalier attitude and continued to stumble slightly. His father had held back and he knew it but his head was still ringing from the impact of the kick.

"I can only do it at short range and not consecutively." Jordan admitted before wiping the blood from his nose.

"That's still an achievement. If you learn how to chain it with your charges, you might actually become a decent soldier. But I really am getting tired of this, Jordy. So let's hurry up and finish it. You've officially got five minutes. Understand? Five minutes to bring my barrier down. If you manage it, we'll call it your win and I'll increase your training and give my permission for your friends to start theirs. A friendly word of warning though, I'm gonna gradually crank up the difficulty during those five minutes and if you lose consciousness, it's over. You'll stick with the pace I've set and the others will forget about this foolishness and go back to being ordinary kids. Got it?"

Mal got his response in the form of Jordan's increased muscle mass that was followed by a biotic charge. His efforts were once again casually deflected by Mal who simply sidestepped him after increasing his own muscles. After Jordan dropped out of his charge, he was promptly pummeled by a shockwave that destroyed his barrier and blasted him throw a window on the ground floor of the Hunter family home. The display stunned almost everyone present as Jordan's friends rushed to his aid.

"Jordy!"

The scream marked Cherish's swift disappearance as she led the way towards her battered boyfriend's location.

"Mal! What did you do?! You could've killed him!" Tess screeched as Leo held her back.

"The boy must learn, Tess. He's grows bolder by the day."

"This is just disappointing. What are you doing? Focus increases your strength, endurance and speed. If you properly combined the benefits with your charge, you'd be unstoppable. Newsflash, your old man can't use biotic charges. So how in the hell was I able to dodge you? It's because you don't get the most out of your speed. We've been over this time and time again but you never seem to learn. At this rate you really will lose. Is that what you want? To get your ass kicked in front of all your little buddies and your girlfriend? In front of one of your other teachers? This has to be embarrassing for Libra."

"Mal, that's enough!" Libra shouted.

"I'm not through yet." Jordan coughed after staggering back outside and waving his friends away. His face was a lot bloodier but he was still standing.

"Maybe I'm not being fair. I guess I just haven't made it easy enough for you. So how about I hand you another advantage? Libra, give him your sword."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Toss him your monomolecular blade. That is his specialty. If he can't at least bring my barrier down while he's using his favorite weapon then there's no point in either of us wasting our time teaching him anymore or Rika for that matter."

With a great deal of reluctance, Libra obeyed Mal's command and threw her sword to Jordan who instantly caught it without breaking eye contact with his father.

"Jordy, just stop! There's no shame in losing to your father! He's one of the most powerful-"

"I know!" Jordan irritably interrupted before Cherish could continue her plea. "But he didn't start out as one of the strongest guys in the galaxy. He worked his way from the bottom just like everyone else. I'm not down yet Dad!"

"You haven't changed since the day Tess and I brought you home from the hospital. Actually, you were like this even before she squeezed you out. You've always been so damned impatient. You tried to kick your way outside her stomach at only sixteen weeks and took your first steps when you were only nine and a half weeks old. You'd barely been here a year when we both had to start chasing you around the house. But I can't let you leave the nest too early, Jordy. Especially if you aren't ready to face the dangers this galaxy can and will throw at you at any given moment. I've already made that mistake with your brothers and sister. You can hate me if you want, it won't change how I feel."

"Dad…I won't give up."

"I know. I'm ready cub."

The next clash between father and son shook the entire yard and shattered every remaining window lining the house.

" _I could kill you."_

" _Does that mean I'll be getting punished tonight?"_

" _He did surprisingly well. Perhaps I'll begin lending my own talents to his training regimen."_

" _The poor baby. He really did risk everything to bring your barrier down."_

" _Mal, I'm seriously considering punching you. And I can promise Rika will do worse once she hears about this. You know how dear Jordy is to her, to both of us."_

" _I had to test how strong his resolve was. His will really is unbreakable, just like another student of yours that I helped forge. It looks like they're all determined. I guess we'd better get the guys together and start organizing their practice schedules. I was sure these stubborn brats would back out after seeing our little sparring match."_

" _Never underestimate the youth, Mal."_

After rousing awake, Jordan found himself lying across the lawn of his family's backyard surrounded by his friends, parents and surrogate aunts and uncle.

"Damn, it's about time you woke up." Travis quipped.

"Jordy, are you alright? You had me worried." Cherish gently asked while cradling his head.

"What happened?"

"You did something stupid as usual." Sasha sharply responded.

"It did work." Layla added while observing him with a slightly worried look.

"Now I remember. I went at Dad with a-"

"Feint using a biotic charge. Then you fired a giant warp and a bunch of phase disruptors. After that you used a biotic slash that cut a trench across the yard. Jordy, you're a complete maniac but a powerful one. It was damned impressive but you barely made it. Mal's barrier didn't seem like it was ever gonna go down. That last maneuver was what clinched it in your favor. As soon as his barrier collapsed, your dad handed you the victory and you passed out." Wes explained while admiring him.

"Is this the sort of training you usually undergo during your lessons with Mal?" Damen asked in a mild state of awe.

"No." Jordan wearily responded before sitting himself up. "Our lessons are a million times worse and now they'll be even more brutal. But it's worth it."

"Finally up?" Mal quipped after approaching the youths with the other adults.

"Yeah, I am."

After getting to his feet and wobbling slightly, Jordan stared at his father who simply smiled.

"That was good work, Jordy. When Lou was your age, it took him a full ten minutes to break my barrier. The others never managed to do it until they were older."

"His unarmed martial techniques still need to be polished and his defensive maneuvers could use some work. His barrier is also subpar. But his offensive abilities are superb. There's a lot I can help you improve Jordan, if you'll allow me."

"Are you serious Leo?"

"Yes. It's already been proven that my teaching methods and Mal's mesh quite well together."

"He has enough tutors already, Leo. Rika and I won't forfeit our time for you or Mal. Remember that." Libra sternly warned.

"Aren't you popular?" Virgo chimed in. "Maybe I'll teach you a few things myself when Libra's not looking."

"Jordy, all of you, you're so young. Don't be in such a hurry. Enjoy your childhoods while you still can. There's no rush." Tess advised while looking them all over. "If not for yourselves, then for me."

"You heard her, get out of here. Go cause some trouble in the commercial district. Vandalize some property, sneak into an adult rated movie, play truth or dare, just have fun." Mal ordered. "Training or not, I still expect you to be kids."

The rambunctious pack of teenagers quickly laughed before dispersing. Eventually, the adults left too and Jordan found himself alone with his sisters and Cherish.

"Well, I did it." he sighed in relief.

"You really did." Cherish agreed before kissing him.

"Ugh, I'm outta here. I need to decide what I'm wearing tonight anyway." Sasha scoffed.

"Wait up, I'll help you." Layla called after her twin began walking towards the house.

"Hot date?" Jordan teased.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Wes asked me out."

Jordan's face promptly sank at the news. "What?!"

"Wes, we're going out later. What's your problem?"

Jordan immediately stomped his way over and stared down at Sasha with a furious glare. "No, you're not."

"Pardon me?"

"I said you're not going out with Wes. End of story."

Sasha instantly burst into a bout of laughter while her brother continued to stare at her. "You're actually serious? _You're_ trying to tell _me_ what to do?"

"I'm not trying, I'm straight up forbidding you from going out with Wes."

"Jordy, what's gotten into you?" Layla asked while observing her siblings in confusion.

"Wes is a good friend and a nice guy."

"And?"

"And I don't want him getting trampled by the likes of you."

The look that Sasha Hunter directed at her brother following his statement was easily among the most frightening she'd ever produced but he continued to stand firm against her.

"Let's all just calm down." Cherish nervously requested while pulling on Jordan's arm.

"No, I'd like to hear exactly what my dear younger brother thinks of me. Don't hold back Jordy, keep going."

"This isn't one of your games. Feel free to toy with the usual idiots who fall over themselves trying to get you to notice them but I won't stand aside while you drag one of my friends into your little web. Am I making myself clear? Now send Wes a message and call this date off."

"No."

The brother and sister continued eyeing each other before Jordan finally caved and decided to play his trump card. "Fine, have it your way. I'm telling Dad."

"What?!"

"You heard me. DAD!"

After her brother took off at a sprint towards their house, Sasha exchanged a brief look of incredulity with her twin before they both rushed after him while Cherish trailed behind all three at a complete loss for what to do. Breakfast at the Hunter house was just beginning.


	44. Chapter 44 Brothers and Sisters

Chapter 44: Brothers and Sisters

"Mmm, it smells great Libra. I can't wait to dig in."

"I'm glad to see you're excited. Is your stomach aching? Is your mouth watering?"

"Yes, damn it! Now cut me a slice!"

"No."

After taking a moment to relish the look of shock and dismay on Mal's face, Libra proceeded to cut and distribute pieces of her freshly baked breakfast confection to everyone else, leaving him utterly dumbstruck.

"This is a joke, right?"

"What's the matter tough guy? Were you looking forward to having some? Well get used to being disappointed. This coffee cake isn't the only sweet you won't be tasting for awhile."

After taunting him, Tess went out of her way to savor a bite of her cake slice before licking her lips rather provocatively at her husband.

"Alright, I get it. Everyone's still mad at me about Jordy. Fine. I guess I'll go buy a bagel or something."

"Or you could come back to my place and let me cook something for you. Maybe some pancakes?"

Mal had to admit, he found Virgo's offer far more tempting than he should have but he was quite hungry at the moment.

"I can't in good conscience be a part of this. Mal, I'll come with you. You did nothing wrong in my opinion." Leo firmly stated.

"He almost killed our baby!"

"That's an exaggeration and you know it. Had Mal been serious, the boy wouldn't be breathing let alone standing right now. A test of mettle is never easy nor should it be. Jordan is determined to follow the path of his older siblings and in quite a hurry to begin the journey. That eagerness must be tempered for both him and the other children. We can't allow them to rush forward blindly."

"Leo, I'm officially angry at you. Do you understand?"

After taking a moment to observe the furious glint in his wife's eyes, Leo took a deep breath before responding. "I won't back down. You have your opinions on the matter and I have mine."

"Oooh, drama! I should take a few notes." Virgo whispered before summoning her omni-tool.

As the atmosphere inside the kitchen grew tenser, Jordan suddenly slid inside and almost crashed into the table.

"Well would you look at that? Our baby boy is up and running already. If me almost killing somebody gets these kinds of results, maybe I should consider being a doctor. I can open a clinic, have my overly dramatic wife work as a receptionist-"

"Do you really wanna make this worse for yourself Mal? You're already booked for a week sleeping with Jin in the backyard that you just tore up."

"My bed's always open for you." Virgo quietly added before winking at him.

"Virgo, now really isn't the time-"

"DAD!"

The furious shout quickly dispersed the hostilities between the adults as they all took notice of Jordan's desperation.

"What's wrong with you?"

"He's probably still sore from that stunt you just pulled. Jordy, do you want mommy to get you a heating pad?"

"Listen to me! Sasha, she's-"

"Ignore him Dad!"

The commotion quickly escalated when the twins arrived followed by Cherish.

"I'm never getting breakfast, am I? What's going on now?"

"You have to ground Sasha."

"Why?"

"Because she's being Sasha."

"Okay Jordy, I'm gonna need you to help me out here. You want me to ground your sister for being your sister?"

"Dad, he's just being a big baby as usual. He's upset that I'm going out with one of his friends tonight."

"Really? Who?"

"Wes." Jordan angrily responded.

"Cool, remember to be back by ten."

"DAD!"

"What?"

"You can't let her do this!"

"Why?"

"Because Wes is my friend and Sasha's a man-eater."

"Jordy…"

Virgo couldn't help but giggle to herself while observing the altercation. As their teacher, she knew full well how devious both of the twins were and how justified Jordan's concerns were when it came to Sasha. Unlike her twin, she was very much unattached and quite casual about using and discarding her admirers. Unfortunately, Mal was fairly blind to many of his little girls' more morally questionable character attributes and easily swayed by both.

"Apologize to your sister, NOW."

"No! This is bullshit! You always take her side and Layla's!"

"Okay, you wanted somebody to be grounded? Well congratulations, you just won the honor. You can spend the next week cooling off and doing a few chores. You'll get a nice break from your friends, videogames, the extranet and Cherish."

"Are you serious?!"

"You wanna make it two?"

Without another word, Jordan gave his father a mutinous look before kicking a chair over and stomping off.

"Nice job pup, you just added another week!" Mal shouted after his son had departed. "Your baby, Tess. That's your baby."

"What did you do?" Tess sternly inquired while narrowing her eyes on Sasha.

"I didn't do anything. You saw how ridiculous and immature he was being."

"Uh-huh and there was no way you could've politely refused Wes' offer."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because he happens to be one of Jordy's best friends and this situation might be a little uncomfortable for your brother."

"He'll just have to get over it." Sasha casually responded before walking off with her sister.

"Is it alright if I go see Jordy before I leave? It will be two weeks before I can visit him again in person." Cherish politely asked with a hint of annoyance while facing Mal.

"Yeah, sure, go. You can both discuss what an asshole his old man is being." Mal humorously consented before watching her leave. "I don't get it. Is it really that big of a deal? Victor and the boys didn't throw a fuss when Lou and Rain started going out, did they?"

"No, but I can understand Jordan's feelings. He doesn't have many peers with whom he can share his interests and there are even fewer who are capable of keeping up with him. Wes is his equal and a comrade who also aspires to push himself further. I've observed them training together on a few occasions and I must admit they make a good team. But if Wes' romance with Sasha were to end poorly, their friendship would undoubtedly suffer." Leo explained.

"Yeah, because that always happens." Mal sarcastically quipped. "We all know after me and Allie split-Nevermind, that was a bad example and there were a lot of other things going on. My point is that Jordy is just overreacting."

"So cute but so simple." Virgo chuckled while taking more notes on her omni-tool.

"You're on a real roll today, Mal. First you almost kill my favorite student and then you punish him unjustly. What's next? Will you forbid him from having any fun?" Libra scoffed.

"That is in essence what he's done by grounding him." Leo added.

"You know what? I don't need this right now. I'm going to get my bagel." Mal grumbled before getting to his feet and walking off.

"I suppose I'll accompany him. If he happens to meet Mason or Brix while in this state, they'll encourage him to vent his frustrations in an unhealthy manner. Property damage and public urination are typically frowned upon by the general populace." Leo explained in exasperation before following his friend.

"It'll be up to mommy to fix this one." Tess firmly announced after they'd both gone.

"Why is that?"

"It's simple, Libra. Mal never had any brothers or sisters. This is one problem he can't solve."

* * *

"Jordy, wait up!"

After reaching the higher floors of his family's mansion and making his way down the hallway that led to his room, Jordan finally noticed Cherish calling for him and stopped.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. I'm so pissed off right now, I don't know what to do."

"Jordy, why does this bother you so much?"

"Is that a serious question? You're their friend and you know them as well as I do. My sisters are devious, conniving, manipulative and deceitful. They do whatever they want and almost always get away with it. That's who they are as a pair but separately, they're completely different. Layla is mischievous but in a good way and when no one else is around, she can actually be warm. Sasha's the complete opposite. She's just plain malicious and always in bitch mode. I won't even bother mentioning all the times she's tortured me over the years for her own amusement but we both know how many guys she's toyed with and tossed aside. Wes has no idea what he's getting himself into and that just makes this worse. I've got a lot of friends Cherish but only a few close ones. I don't want to lose one because of her games."

"So that's what you think of me? That's the sort of person you think I am?"

The inquiry came from the sister in question as she and her twin approached from the stairs. Undeterred, Jordan simply kissed his girlfriend before turning his attention to them.

"Cherish, I'll see you in two weeks. Layla, don't talk to me for awhile. Sasha, well done. You win again. You're a heartless shrew but a crafty one. I never stood a chance and neither does Wes. I hope whatever thrills you get from this fling are worth me losing a buddy. It's times like this when I have to wonder exactly what I did to get someone like you for a sister."

After making his statement he simply walked off without looking back, completely oblivious to the tears that were now staining his sister's face.

* * *

"Jordy! Open up right now! I want to talk to you!"

Jordan could barely hear the pounding outside his door. He'd been listening to music for several hours while contemplating how he'd dispose of whatever nightmarish concoction his mother would likely be preparing for dinner later. He hated when it was her turn to cook. He'd already skipped lunch and hadn't regretted the decision thanks to a few leftover doughnuts he had stashed under his bed. As the frenzied thumps continued he eventually turned off his sound system and reluctantly made his way to the door.

"What do you want Layla?"

He didn't bother waiting for a response before strolling back into his room and collapsing onto his bed.

"I want to discuss how you hurt our sister's feelings earlier because that's what you did. You hurt her like no one else ever has. In fact, that's the first time I've ever seen her cry over something someone else said."

"Right, I'm sure she's real torn up. There's no way this could just be a ploy to get you and Cherish to lay into me. She's such a fragile and delicate girl."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Do you really hate her that much? Is this how you actually feel?"

"How about asking her whether or not she hates me?"

"She doesn't and you know that."

"Do I? Because there's plenty of evidence to prove otherwise."

"Jordy, why are you being like this? I know Wes is your friend and-"

"Wes is just the final straw. You don't understand and you never will. She's your twin, so you'll always be on her side."

"That's not fair or true."

"Sure it is. That's why you back her up no matter what. Just look at that whole Vince, Angelica, Liv situation. We could've all handled it like adults and talked things out. Liv could've gotten a few shoulders to cry on and Vince and Angelica could've gotten reassurance that nobody was going to hold any grudges. But instead we got Ray going on a warpath, Liv disappearing for a month and then becoming a reckless lunatic and Nate ignoring everything by burying himself in booze and women. Meanwhile, Lou struggled to keep us all together and Leon made an honest attempt to mend everything. And what did Sasha do? She whispered in a few people's ears to get Vince exiled and erased Angelica from all our home movies. And you let her. You stood there and you let her. It's the same story every time, Layla. I guess the only way she could ever upset you is by sabotaging things with Keith. But you'd probably let that slide too. He's just another guy after all-"

"Stop it. Don't you dare bring Keith into this."

"Fine. I think I've made my point."

"No, you haven't. I want to know what this is really about, Jordy."

"It's about the fact that my sister has spent my entire life stepping on me and I can't do anything about it. Worst of all, I can't hate her. I can get mad but I can never actually bring myself to hate her no matter what she does to me or how awful I think her actions are. She could take everything good in my life and destroy it while smirking and I still wouldn't hate her. She doesn't give a damn about me or my feelings and I still can't hate her. I'm tired of it all Layla. I just don't care anymore. She'll do whatever she wants regardless, so from now on I'll just ignore her. I've still got three other sisters I can actually acknowledge and that's more than most."

"I'm not hearing this right now. I can't be. I was expecting you to blow off some steam like you usually do. To curse, yell and complain about how Sasha is ruining your life. Then later, we'd all make up like we usually do and go out to have fun."

"Too bad. I'm sick of being the one who has to make the sacrifices in order to make things 'happy' again. Tell your sister to stay away from me."

"No, this is ridiculous!"

"Fine, I'll tell her. It'll be the last words she'll ever hear from me until I finally move out or she does, whichever comes first."

"Jordy, don't. You've caused enough damage."

"Me? Yeah, it's all me Layla. Do you remember when I was twelve and we all went to visit cousin Dartak at Clan Qrad's fortress on Uncle Wrandok's planet? It wasn't long after the annual celebration on Tuchanka and we were all still flying high after winning that kowla tournament."

"I remember. You gave us all a scare that day."

"I gave you and everyone else a scare. I gave Sasha another reason to ridicule me. But I guess I deserved it for once. I ran off on my own into the wilderness, got lost, attacked by a pack of wild varren that were twice their normal size and almost killed. I honestly thought I was gonna die back then. I'd barely managed to fight those beasts off when the sun started to set and they came back with friends. If Liv hadn't shown up and blown them all away with one of her dark spheres, I would've died. I thought for sure she was gonna yell at me, call me stupid, curse me out, you know, typical Liv stuff. But she didn't. She just patched up my shoulder where one of the varren tried to take a chunk out of me, picked me up and carried me back to the fortress. Once we got there, she stopped outside the front doors and hugged me. That was the first time I ever saw Liv cry. I got called stupid once she was done.

"Sounds like Liv."

"It wasn't just her. Instead of telling me what a dumbass I was or making fun of me for getting lost, Ray actually complimented me for holding off the varren. Lou and Leon invited me to go hunting with them the next day and Nate took me to spy on Zel'me and her sisters while they were bath-I mean Nate was cool too. And you actually hugged me before we all went to sleep that night. That was the first time I'd ever seen you cry too. You tried to hide it though but your eyes were still red and puffy despite the makeup. I think that was one of the moments when I truly felt connected to my brothers and sisters, that I was important to everyone, that they cared. But there was at least one person who didn't give a damn, who never gives a damn. Sasha. Early the next morning before anyone else was awake she snuck into my room and just let loose. I got called every name in the book, idiot being the nicest. And to top it all off, she laughed at me. She told me I'd always be the weakest one in the family and laughed before strolling out the door. I'm not a brother to her Layla, I never was and I never will be. I'm just a joke that's here for her entertainment. So tell me, who hates who?"

Layla took a moment to stare back at her brother with a mix of frustration and pity. "You both get on my nerves so much. You say she doesn't care but you couldn't be more wrong. You know what she did after leaving your room that morning? She cried. She started sobbing the minute she reached the hallway. It was all an act Jordy, her way of motivating you to get stronger and smarter. Whether you like it or not, it worked. Just look at how powerful you've become since then. You're stronger than any of us were at your age. Sasha and I are only a year ahead of you and you could probably take us both on. You fought against yahg and an arbiter controller and won. Speaking of which, do you know who was the first to find out about your sneaking off to Khar'shan? Sasha. Do you know who was worrying about you the most? Sasha. Do you know who got the angriest after finding out what you'd done and who you'd faced? Sasha. She doesn't show her love the same way that the rest of us do but that doesn't mean she loves you any less."

Jordan didn't bother responding and simply rolled to his side away from his sister. "By the way, she called off her date with Wes and it really pained her to do it. Maybe she's not such a 'heartless shrew' after all. Maybe she actually liked him but decided to put your feelings first."

A minute later, his room fell silent after Layla let herself out. In spite of everything she'd said, he wasn't ready to accept the fact that the younger of his older twin sisters had his best interest at heart and simply had a strange way of showing it.

* * *

"Dinner!"

Mal's voice seemed to echo across the entire mansion after he entered the front door with several bags of takeout food from a local hotspot that was famous across Cartagena Station for having the best burgers credits could buy.

"You can all stop hiding! It's not your mother's cooking!"

The first occupant of the house to arrive after hearing the news was the family varren who started circling him in anticipation after smelling the heavenly aroma from the bags.

"Down Jin, I've got yours right here." Mal assured the beast before tossing a large bag of sandwiches outside the front door where the varren eagerly chased after his treat. "That way he won't make a mess on the carpet."

After closing the door behind him, he casually made his way to the kitchen where Tess was still in the process of extinguishing a few scattered flames on the stovetop.

"It's better this way. I was getting tired of that oven anyway. And getting a new one will give us a good excuse to remodel the kitchen."

"Shut up and give me my burger." she replied in agitation while reaching for a bag that Mal held outside her reach.

"Not until I get my kiss."

"Do you really wanna try your luck when I'm hungry, tough guy?"

"I seem to recall a certain someone taunting me this morning when I was starving. The tables do have a habit of turning, don't they?"

Before he could continue his teasing she gave him a rather heated kiss while snatching away one of the bags. After pulling away, she puckered her lips and sauntered towards the kitchen table.

"I guess I'll never learn, will I?" he joked before following.

As the couple helped themselves to a pair of the burgers, their children eventually wandered to the table from their respective hideaways in the mansion. None of them appeared to be speaking to each other which didn't surprise Mal. It hadn't been the first time his youngest kids had gotten into a fight with each other.

"So, how about those Blood Dragons? No response, huh? Okay, I guess our dinner discussion won't be about the urban combat championships. How about kowla? Clan Taron's team might go all the way this year. Still no takers? Hmm, MMA then? I heard Kevin Hawkins is still the light heavyweight champ. He scored a round one upset over that turian, Tebius 'The Taser' Adranius not long ago. The vids say he dedicated the match to his uncle…I guess Libra was right, I am on a roll today."

Mal suddenly grew quiet after his failed attempt at making conversation with his family while Tess gently took his hand.

"Are you planning to watch the service later?"

"It's the least I can do until I actually visit his grave. I still can't believe he's gone. Isaac, the gentle scientist and the voice of reason. He deserved a helluva lot better than dying the way he did."

"I read a message from Keith earlier today. It sounded like his family's been through a lot lately and not just Professor Graham's death. Apparently his father was hurt. It sounded pretty bad. Actually, it sounded really bad." Layla quietly informed everyone.

"Hawkins? What happened?"

"The details are sketchy but apparently he fought an arbiter, a really big arbiter. The same arbiter that killed Professor Graham. It may have been an architect."

"Goddammit, Hawkins. Exactly how bad is it?"

"He can't walk."

Silence filled the kitchen while everyone came to terms with the news.

"Layla, why didn't you say anything?" Sasha gently scolded after scooting next to her sister and placing an arm around her.

"Because there was so much else going on and I didn't want to distract anyone. You and Jordy are still fighting and-"

The sound of a chair sliding across the floor marked Jordan's abrupt departure from the table. "Layla if you want to talk later, you know where to find me. I'm sending a message to Keith."

True to his word, he hadn't acknowledged his other sister's presence since they'd all arrived in the kitchen and he didn't bother looking in her direction while leaving.

"This is bad. I'm gonna have to reach out to a few people. Seriously, what the hell is going on in the Shepards' neck of the galaxy?" Mal anxiously pondered.

"I wish I could be there for Keith right now. His father is hurt, his uncle is dead and he's trying so hard to be strong for his mother and cousins, I can tell." Layla sadly lamented before shedding a few tears.

Mal quickly walked over and took a seat next to her before pulling her into a hug himself. It was during times like these that he realized just how closely connected his family was to the Shepards. Angelica wasn't the only link that bound them all together.

* * *

"Knock, knock."

"Come in Mom."

"I'm not disturbing anything, am I?"

"No, I just sent Keith word to get back to me. I really want to know what's going on right now."

"We all do. Your father and I just went over a few news articles. They mentioned Captain Hawkins being injured in the line of duty but not much else. I get the distinct impression that the media doesn't like him. Either way, we're going to have to broaden our news feeds. It's important to keep up with what's happening in Citadel and Alliance Space even if we don't care for their politics. Maybe your brothers have heard more. Mal's planning to contact Lou to find out if he learned anything new from Jacob Taylor when he picked up Leanne Shepard. He'll probably try to get in touch with Angelica too. All of this has to be weighing on her."

Jordan remained silent while laying across his bed. Eventually his mother entered and took a seat next to him. "Are you still mad at your sister?"

"Why is she like that? We're all weird, I get that but…Liv and Ray, they're completely straightforward. When they're mad, you know. When they care, you know. Lou's really good at keeping his cool but he's not afraid to show his feelings either. Nate treats everything like a joke but he says what he means. Layla gets on my nerves sometimes but she's also there for me whenever I need her. Sasha is just here, either mocking me or screwing with my life. Why?"

"Wow. Of all my children, my baby boy is the one who most resembles me. That's a surprise."

"What?"

"You remind me so much of myself back when I was a teenager. Ugh, those were awful days. I've told you about your aunt before, right?"

"The sister you named Liv after."

"Yeah, Olivia. She knew how to press all the right buttons in order to piss me off. I really hated her sometimes."

"But you named one of your children after her and you do actually talk about her a lot. You're always telling us how great she was. I'm a little confused here Mom."

"That's because it's a complicated story Jordy. Olivia was two years older than me and _always_ getting under my skin. It's strange now that I think about it. We were practically babies who'd survived one of the worst wars the galaxy had ever seen and almost two decades later, we were teenagers arguing over lip gloss and boys. So much for Reaper trauma. Your aunt and I were like day and night. She was the intellectual type but at the same time fashionable and stylish. She was just as comfortable at a science lecture as she was at a runway show. And me, I was just a tomboy and a party girl. We fought over practically everything and it only got worse once we were adults. See, your aunt was studying to become a teacher. She was already attending classes and everything. But me, I just wanted to pay the bills and have fun wherever I could. She'd nag me every time we spoke to each other about doing something more with my life and how I was wasting my potential by taking orders and serving drinks. It got to the point where I'd just ignore her messages and calls. Then one day, I stopped getting them. She'd been killed by batarian terrorists while working as a tour guide on the Citadel."

"You mentioned that before. Sorry."

Tess took a moment to pull her son up and embrace him. "I'm fine now. It's been so long and I spent more than enough time being angry. But when I first got the news I was crushed, mostly because of the last thing I said to her. 'Stay out of my life.' I'll never forget that. I ended up feeling even worse when I went to the Citadel to gather her stuff from the apartment she was renting. While I was cleaning the place, I found her computer. She hadn't bothered to change the passcode that she used when we were younger, so I logged in and did some snooping just like I did when we were teenagers and I'd read her diary behind her back. While I was poking around, I found a letter she'd started writing, a letter that was for me. It was mostly her apologizing but it was also about us, about how she wished she'd been a better sister to me and how she wanted to change things between us. That really broke me. I cried for hours after reading that letter. I was the one who didn't deserve her. After that, I buried her and our grandparents and left for the Terminus Systems after joining a merc company. I spent three years toughening up and trying to forget before eventually setting out on my own. I started numbing the pain by killing as many batarian slavers as I could. The way I saw it, they'd taken everything I had and robbed me of the chance to reconcile with my sister. It wasn't long before I met your father and well, you know the rest."

A thoughtful silence passed while Tess continued to hold her son. "You want me to try and make up with Sasha, don't you?"

"That's your decision, Jordy. I know you have valid reasons for getting into these squabbles with your sisters. They're your father's little girls so they'll always be able to wrap him around their fingers and slip out of trouble if I'm not around to set them straight but they're still your sisters. Sasha is still your sister. And she loves you. The two of you could spend the next few years in a cold war, each pretending that the other doesn't exist but that would just end up hurting you both and making things really, really awkward for your poor father during dinner."

Jordan couldn't help but laugh a little before finally deciding to get to his feet. "I'm just gonna go, uh, practice for awhile in the training room. Thanks for the talk Mom."

"Jordy? You can tell Cherish that you'll be free in a week. I've already cleared it with Mal."

"Mom, you really are the best."

"I know."

Afterwards, Jordan left his room and Tess found herself laying across his bed while releasing a sigh and smiling. "You're right tough guy, we didn't plan this right."

* * *

"Layla? Are you okay?"

When he didn't get a response, Jordan decided to enter his sister's room anyway. Normally the thought of stepping into either of the twins' rooms without permission was a frightening prospect but he knew what he had to do. After tiptoeing inside, he noticed Layla sleeping on her bed while Sasha busied herself nearby with her omni-tool.

"I figured you'd be here too."

His statement was met by silence as his sister continued her work.

"So _you're_ ignoring _me_ now, is that it?"

His sister responded to his inquiry with further silence before turning briefly to check on her twin. Not long after she'd done so, she found herself trapped in a hug from her brother.

"This is how I show my love. You should try it some time."

Sasha didn't say anything but slowly returned the gesture before crying.

* * *

"Any luck?"

"No and I'm not expecting that to change anytime soon. She probably won't get my message until after the service. Why didn't she call me Virgo?"

The two friends were holding conference in the living room of Virgo's house where Mal had dropped by in the hopes that she'd received word from his oldest daughter about the unsettling recent events that had struck the Shepards.

"It sounds like things have grown quite hectic within the Shepard side of her family. She probably hasn't had the time."

"Don't bother trying to make me feel better. The truth is, I already know the answer. I've always known. She's ashamed of me. My angel is ashamed of me."

"Mal, we're not going down this road again. Angelica loves you and always will."

"I'm not so sure about that anymore. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Maybe she would've been better off having the last name Shepard. It suits her more than mine ever did and it wouldn't haunt her like some curse that she can't get rid of. Angelica Hunter. How hard do you think it was for her to make it in the Alliance with my tainted name? I'm a plague on her Virgo."

The slap that suddenly whipped across his face caught him completely by surprise. "Not another word, Mal. Not one more stupid word out of that sexy mouth of yours."

"Virgo-"

"Be quiet and listen. I remember when I first met that little girl all those years ago. She was the tiniest most adorable thing you can imagine. She'd spent every moment since her 'birth' being studied and prodded by Equinox's scientists under Romanov's supervision. They were probably comparing her genetic structure to those of their artificially created superhumans. She was special after all, the first naturally conceived of our kind. When I was assigned to be her tutor, I didn't honestly know how to act around her. She was your daughter but also Allison Shepard's and I'll admit, I was a little jealous. But she grew on me pretty fast. She was curious, sweet, thoughtful and terrified of being left alone. We got attached to each other really quickly and the thought of us being separated frightened her more than anything. When I told her she had parents and explained who you were, she was ecstatic. From that moment on, all she could think about was meeting her mommy and daddy. And when you finally showed up on Genesis Station that day…Mal I truly believe that was the happiest moment of her life. So stop this doubt. Don't ever question how much Angelica loves you. Don't ever question how much I love you either."

"I knew you'd sneak it in somewhere."

Mal allowed Virgo's words to sink in while he continued to relax on the sofa in her living room. It hadn't changed at all over the years and he could still recall all the times he'd lounged across it when Vince was a child. After shutting his eyes and allowing himself a brief bit of nostalgia, he slowly opened them and discovered Virgo's head resting on his shoulder.

"Nate…that smartass may have actually been right."

"About what?"

"About you and us."

"I'm curious. What exactly did Nate have to say about _us_?"

"He found out about your novel and decided to screw with me the last time we spoke. He said I let you do whatever you want because you're basically my wife."

"Did he now?"

"He accused me of being a borderline polygamist. According to him, you and I have a level of intimacy that only exists between lovers. We share feelings, comfort each other and we've even raised children together. The only thing missing is sex. I wanted to kick his ass after he said it but Leo actually agreed with him and it got me thinking."

"About what?"

"About you. Virgo, you don't have to-You can leave, you know. I'm not, this whole thing is, what I'm trying to say-"

Before he could stammer any further, Virgo gently kissed him and stared back into his eyes. "I told you before, Mal. I'm a patient woman. And don't forget, you were the one who told me to be patient until I could get what I truly deserve."

"This wasn't what I meant."

"Does that mean you want me to leave?"

"Virgo, you know what we're about to face and what my plans involve."

"Answer the question."

"No, I don't want you to go but-"

Before he could continue, she kissed him again.

"I'm a real fucking mess." he sighed afterwards.

"I don't care."

"You should."

"You really can be dense sometimes, you know that? If I were you, I would've begun questioning our relationship back when Vince and Angelica were both eight and we started taking them to our secret spot to play on the beach. Or when we actually got that spot to begin with. You never told anyone else about it, did you?"

"Garden worlds are rare and that one is tiny, too small to benefit anyone. I realized that the moment we discovered it by accident when you made me misfire a probe after grabbing my ass."

"Excuses, excuses. Why can't you just admit it? You like sharing a secret with me. And with our children."

"Okay, we both raised Vince. I'll give you that. But I think Allie might have a small problem with you suddenly claiming Angelica."

"Maybe but I can't help it. I told you before, I'm too attached to her. Sorry, but she really is like a daughter to me."

"Don't apologize. It's nice that she has someone else besides me who she can consider a parent around here. Another source of warmth that won't ever let her down."

The two friends with an undefined relationship continued to sit together as the night grew later. "I meant what I said earlier today. You can sleep over if you want."

"How exactly should I interpret that proposition Virgo?"

"As a purely innocent offer from one friend to another."

"That might be a little bit difficult with your hands wandering and your lips kissing my neck. Seriously, stop it. If I show up with a hickey when I go home, Tess will murder both of us."

"If I happen to make one, it'll disappear long before you leave. We're superhumans, remember? Besides, Taya is just as likely a suspect as me. I'm a little insulted that she never manages to draw your wife's ire."

"Taya doesn't go out of her way to piss Tess off at every turn."

"And I do?"

"You know you do. You love it."

"It's true, I do."

After taking a moment to chuckle, Virgo suddenly checked the time on her omni-tool. Afterwards, she turned on the vid-screen in her living room and began channel surfing.

"What are you doing?"

"Isaac Graham's funeral. You were planning to watch it, right? I did some checking earlier and discovered that it's not just being broadcast over the extranet."

"How did you know I was planning to watch it? Wait, is that why you kept me here? You…you knew I'd try to see it alone."

"You cared for him, Mal. I know that. You care about a lot of the Shepards. Time hasn't changed that. There may be disagreements between you now but you'll always care."

"Virgo, you don't have to view this with me."

"But I will because I care for you."

After making her declaration, Virgo finally found the channel she was looking for but the footage that awaited them was shocking.

"… _hundreds dead and even more injured…explosions that were triggered within seconds of each other…losing, my god what is that?! Are we getting this?! Herman are we…"_

" _It looks like we just lost contact with our field correspondent. I-I don't know what to-If you're just joining us then I'm sorry to inform you that an unspeakable tragedy has just unfolded on the colony of Yandoa during the late Professor Isaac Graham's funeral ceremony. This is horrible. Do we have anyone else on the scene? Alright, I'm being told that we do in fact have someone. Just a moment. We're now switching to a live feed from our war correspondent? Is this accurate? Wait, is there some kind of battle taking place?"_

" _…small armies of unidentified alien hostiles converging at multiple locations. They seem to be armed with weapons unlike anything this reporter has ever seen. There are hundreds of confirmed deaths and unverified reports that several members of the Shepard family are among them…luckily for us, we happen to be with two surviving Shepards and several of their squadmates, all of whom are members of an elite Valkyrie unit within the Alliance. They've been fighting through this madness since it first began and struggling to rescue survivors."_

" _Heads up! Big ones incoming! Angelica, suppressive fire!_

" _Cammie, your nose!"_

" _Yours too! What are those things?! News lady get down before-"_

" _It seems we've lost the feed again. Obviously we'll be staying with this story as it develops. This is Nadia Clemens. A-Are we at war?"_

"ANGELICA!"

Mal immediately went into a frenzy after witnessing the footage and leapt to his feet.

"Not my angel, not my angel!

What happened next alarmed him even more. Very few things in the galaxy were capable of scaring Malcolm Hunter but losing his children was part of that list.

"Mal, is that what I think it is?" Virgo frantically asked as a high pitched frequency suddenly began emitting from his chest.

After tucking a hand into his shirt, he pulled out the source of the sound. It was a small silver pendent whose counterpart he'd given to Allie many years earlier as a means of contacting him in case of an emergency. Angelica had inherited that very same pendent and the fact that she'd activated hers meant…

"Virgo, our baby needs us! She needs us now!"

"I know but we'll never make it in time!"

"Who do we have near Yandoa?! Please tell me we've got somebody near Yandoa!"

"Hold on."

Virgo immediately began searching through their deployment files using her omni-tool.

"We've got a team near the system! Terminus Wolves, Pride Division! That's Victor's unit! The King's Call can be there within the hour once we send the orders!"

"Do it! And send anybody else you can find who's close by!"

"Already preparing the message. Mal, they'll make it. Angelica will make it. I taught her, so I would know."

"Virgo, I can't lose her too. Not my angel."

"Mal! Look at me." Virgo shouted before reaching up and placing her hands on the sides of his face.

"Our angel is going to be alright."

After reassuring the man she loved that the little girl they'd both helped raise would be fine, she quickly got to work. She may have convinced Mal for the moment but her own optimism was far more shaky than she'd let on.

" _She will be alright."_

Repeating the thought was all she could do while hoping that their reinforcements could make it in time.


	45. Chapter 45 Arrival of the Lions

Chapter 45: Arrival of the Lions

The Terminus Wolves were regarded by most as the absolute best mercenary company in the entire galaxy. They were skilled, well armed, efficient and always honored their contracts. These facts among many others put their services in high demand. They had clients everywhere which often required them to travel beyond their domains in the Nemean Abyss and Terminus Systems. But despite their popularity, few outside their organization understood the nuances of their command structure. Simply hiring the Terminus Wolves didn't necessarily grant one the expertise of an actual Terminus Wolf. More often than not, a division of Terminus Fangs would be dispatched to handle most jobs and hardly anyone could recognize the difference, at a glance anyway. The Terminus Wolves' rivals and enemies however, understood the distinction quite well and could identify a true Wolf immediately. Fighting a Fang and battling a Wolf weren't the same thing, not by a long shot. The term itself was used to identify not only the mercenary company but also the corporation, Terminus Wolves Incorporated, which encompassed the various other business enterprises that the Wolves managed. More importantly, the name served as a significant designation within their group. Terminus Wolves served as senior members within the organization. They were often soldiers who'd begun their careers within a Terminus Fang Division, the lower branch of the order, but eventually worked their way up to become one of the elite. They were the strongest, most experienced and also handpicked by the Terminus Hunter and the Terminus Wolves' veterans, his friends who were part of the original group of mercenaries.

The Fangs themselves were no pushovers thanks to the training and recruitment standards of the outfit. Each of their divisions was more than capable of holding their own against the best of any military in the galaxy. The Blood Fangs were the combat specialists, the Spirit Fangs were the biotic masters, the Cyber Fangs were the tech geniuses and the lesser known Shadow Fangs were among the most skilled spies and assassins in the business. Together, all four divisions formed the core of the private army that the Terminus Wolves themselves commanded. And then there were the Wolves themselves. They came from everywhere, with backgrounds as varied as their clientele list but the most illustrious among them had two distinct origins. They were either the progenies of the original Terminus Wolves, or treasures-New generation superhumans who'd been rescued by the Terminus Hunter and his companions many years earlier. It was yet another variance that potential enemies had to be wary of. The existence of superhumans wasn't widely known, especially among the general populace. Most had assumed that the more potent breeds of humanity had died with Equinox. The fact that some lived on and served a man that many believed held far too much power already remained a cause of concern for those who worked within the intelligence agencies of certain governments. Their only solace was the fact that the Terminus Wolves and their constituents occupied the Nemean Abyss and Terminus Systems, forever locked in an unseen power struggle with the other denizens of the more lawless regions of space. If nothing else, they served as a useful bulwark against the myriad of warlords, criminals, slavers and pirates who were their neighbors. This perpetual conflict was another element that contributed to their strength. The Wolves were always fighting someone, even when they weren't on the clock and those battles only served to hone their skills further and made them even tougher adversaries to face.

These were all factors that culminated into forging the most powerful warriors in the galaxy. But there were always a few who ascended even higher, perhaps because of whom they'd descended from. The Terminus Hunter had children, this fact was widely known and so was the efficacy of their individual combat abilities. He was also a superhuman and the actual first of their kind, this was NOT a widely known detail. He had three friends who were also superhumans and former Zodiac Commanders, yet another bit of information that only those in the intel gathering business were aware of. Two of these friends were married and had children of their own-Another piece of knowledge that wasn't often shared outside of the Terminus Wolves' inner circles and for good reasons. These children were just as highly regarded as the Hunters by their superhuman peers and faced similar lofty expectations when it came to their future prospects. It was a challenge they'd all conquered rather quickly.

Victor Freeman was the second eldest of his parents' children and the oldest son. He was among the youngest in the Terminus Wolves but had already proven himself a capable soldier and skilled leader on numerous occasions. Like Leo and Libra's other children, he possessed a close bond with the Hunter kids due to their parent's shared history and their own status as the only naturally born and conceived superhumans of their generation. It was a distinction they shared with only one other person whose somewhat unpleasant origins and parentage unfortunately led to her being ostracized by a few of their more narrow-minded contemporaries. Thankfully, their friend Grace could always count on the Hunter and Freeman families as allies and protectors. Both understood the importance of acceptance and redemption. Neither Leo nor Libra were strangers to having dubious pasts, both having once served Equinox before finally breaking free and joining Mal. One of their first acts after leaving the heinous organization had involved choosing a surname, something they could adopt for themselves while facing the future together, the first thing they could call their own as free willed individuals. Freeman seemed appropriate, though Mal had teased both for their perceived lack of originality.

Victor represented the best of his parents and had worked hard to not only make them proud but to also catch up to his older sister whose prestige and accomplishments were rivaled only by those of the man that she loved. Lucas Hunter, the Beast of the Abyss and future leader of the entire Terminus Wolves organization. Competing with either of them was difficult, even with his own notable achievements. Victor was the captain of the King's Call, one of the most powerful frigates in the Terminus Wolves' arsenal. He was also the leader of the Pride Division of the Terminus Wolves, one of the most prominent units within the company whose notoriety was rivaled only by the Beast Brigade, Amazons and Vengeance. It was a branch where several of the original Terminus Wolves' children had gathered and also where a few young superhumans were known to join. Keeping them all in line wasn't always an easy task, especially since some of the rowdy young soldiers happened to be slightly older than him but it was a challenge that Victor took in stride. The way he saw it, his best friend had faced far more difficult circumstances by living as an elite assassin and protecting his family from the shadows while wearing the mask of a fool and accepting the collective scorn of their peers for his troubles. He wouldn't have minded talking with Nathan Hunter and sharing a few stories but at the moment he had more pressing concerns. His team had just been handed a mission, a vital one. Something bad was happening on Yandoa and they needed to reach a certain illegitimate Hunter daughter before it was too late.

"Alright, have you all reviewed the manuals?"

"Yeah, yeah. Vic, tell me something. Why are they called the Tiger Tactics?"

"It's obvious Axel. Julian and Lou were the ones who collected the data and compiled the information."

"So why isn't Lou's alias plastered on these things?"

"My guess is that he did the actual writing and we all know how humble he is. He probably did it to annoy Julian too."

The scattered laughter that erupted around the crowded hangar bay of the King's Call served to ease everyone's anxieties. Nobody present was a stranger to battle but the prospect of being too late to help Angelica was an unnerving one. Not only would such an outcome mean they'd failed Mal, it would also mean losing a friend. Unlike some of their colleagues, the members of the Pride Division had no issues with their leader's oldest daughter. In fact, most of them had grown up playing together with her whenever she visited Cartagena Station as a girl.

"How long until we initiate our drops to the planet?"

"ETA is twenty minutes. We should probably start boarding the shuttles now. This will be a standard search and rescue. Our primary objective is finding Angelica and getting her to safety. Neutralize every arbiter you encounter and remember to follow the strategies outlined in the Tiger Tactics. We're lucky Lou's started distributing them to all the divisions."

"With your sister's help. I wonder how Rain's doing these days. She always was a luscious-"

"Axel, I won't bother threatening you myself but you do realize Lou would break every bone in your body and then do worse, right?"

"Good point. He is pretty huge now and ripped. Now that I think about it, he's as big as Mal. The future boss could probably kill me with a flick of his finger. Anyway, relax. You know there's only one girl for me. So let's hurry up and save her."

Victor took a moment to release a sigh while shaking his head. Axel Phoenix was one of his best soldiers and an awesomely powerful and skilled biotic. He was also an older treasure who was completely uninhibited and sometimes downright crass. But that didn't change the fact that he was reliable and never let his teammates down when it counted.

"Will we really be facing arbiters?"

"Kana…yes, it looks like we will based on what little info we have."

"Good. I've been waiting for this opportunity. Lou refused my request to join him."

"For good reason. You were still grieving. Keiko was your sister, I understand that but-"

"Don't speak of her. Not here, not now. She was always father's favorite and the only one who could ever catch Leon's eye. I was jealous of her, I admit that. She was vibrant and I always paled in comparison. That's why I chose to follow mother's path, one of shadow and solitude. But as much as I envied my sister I never wished her harm and yet harm is what befell her. Perhaps it was my jealousy that cursed her and the man she loved so much."

"Kana, enough. An arbiter architect called Augury and a brainwashed turian SPECTRE killed Keiko and Leon, not you. And I won't let you continue to torment yourself like this."

The young woman remained silent following Victor's words but he could tell she was still troubled. Kana Briggs was the second born of three daughters and the most withdrawn. Her sisters had mostly taken after Mason in terms of personality and she often found herself feeling distant from most of her family with the exception of her mother. There were few people whom she felt she could relate to, even among the Wolves. Julian happened to be a part of that list due to his similar temperament and the fact that he was her mother's top student. The two of them occasionally exchanged correspondence in the form of email. This tended to annoy Victor for personal reasons.

"I've been studying the manual and it seems the key to an effective counter-strategy involves neutralizing the arbiters' gauntlets by overwhelming their biotic absorption capabilities through sheer force or hacking. Hacking sounds like the safer option. We don't know what their typical limits are and we can't risk having them gain an advantage by draining biotic attacks."

"Which is why I'm bringing you with us, Des."

"Victor, do you all have to use that nickname?"

"Would you prefer we call you Decimus? Screw that. Whenever you're with us, you're Des so just deal with hit." Axel quipped.

The young turian engineer glowered a little at the remark before turning to Victor who simply gave him a thumbs up and a smile. Decimus Kandaren was the oldest son of Jaylen and Ryla Kandaren, two former members of the turian military's Twenty-Sixth Armiger Legion and another pair of Terminus Wolf veterans. He was also a gifted field technician, an avid fan of the Relay Defense videogame series and a connoisseur of strategy games in general. And he hated his name and his nickname but to a slightly lesser extent. His friends had been tossing it around since they were all children and despite his annoyance, he was stuck with it.

"At least Angelica has some consideration for my feelings." he sighed.

"Quit crying. It's pathetic."

The derisive remark came from the final member of Victor's personal squad. Grog was a krogan and a big one. He was also a member of Clan Qrad which was closely affiliated with the Hunters due to familial ties. What set him apart from many of his brethren was his lack of hostility when it came to Angelica Hunter and the Shepards. His grandfather, Wrandok, despised them. His uncle, Dartak, didn't trust them. He had no problems with them one way or the other. In his opinion, whether they liked it or not, Mal had made a daughter with the Shepards and if his clan was truly serious about supporting the Hunters now and forever, that would mean assisting all of Mal's children regardless of parentage. It wasn't exactly a popular opinion in the Qrad domains. His attitude was one of the biggest reasons why he'd decided to join up with Victor's division. Ideally, he would've preferred joining an actual Hunter but his grandfather had personally prevented it and nearly killed him in the process. So he settled for Victor's team for the time being but he wasn't planning to give up. Something was going to have to change if his family had any intention of successfully confronting the Leviathans and helping the right Hunter to enact that change was the first step. His grandfather may have stopped him from joining Lucas and the other older Hunter heirs but there was still one left who could help knock some sense into the idiots within his clan in a few years. And Grog would simply have to be patient until the boy was finally ready to set out on his own.

"Do we have any details about where the girl and her squad are?" he gruffly inquired.

"No. That's why we'll be deploying as close to the funeral site as possible. With any luck, we'll be able to pick up a few clues." Victor explained.

"I hope she's safe. I've missed speaking with Angelica." Kana quietly stated.

"With everything that's happened, I don't really blame her for falling out of touch." Victor calmly added. "When Vince finds out about this-"

"Vince can suck it." Axel crudely interjected. "If he was any sort of man, he would've never left her side to begin with."

"I can't believe you're still this enamored with her after all these years. Had things gone differently, you'd be the prodigal wolf who's just come home."

"Wrong. Kana, what did I just say? I would've never left her to begin with. What does she even see in that guy? I'm obviously better looking, stronger, smarter, cooler and I happen to be Mal's personal advisor."

"What galaxy do you live in? Vince has kicked your ass more times than any of us can count and you get on Mal's nerves every time you see him." Des reminded him.

"Vince beat me once in hand-to-hand and it was a fluke. My specialty is biotics, remember?"

"He beat you in a biotic duel too, I remember. You both tore up half of the shopping district and Dad had to step in and break things up. Angelica wasn't impressed with either of your displays and called you both immature. From what I hear, Vince was in hot water with her for awhile after that." Victor casually recalled.

"Ah, but you just said it yourself. Leo broke things up before we could finish. I had that match won."

"You might be the more powerful biotic but Vince is the smarter one. He proved that throughout your entire fight."

"Why are you so determined to back him, Vic?"

"I'm not backing anyone, I'm just speaking the truth."

"Based on your continued agitation towards Vince, is it safe to assume you rejoiced after hearing what some of our colleagues did to him when he returned during Mal's absence?" Kana pondered.

"No. That was stupid and they should all know better."

"Blame the old man. He was the ringleader. He's always pulling shit like that." Grog snarled.

"They only got away with it because no one else was there. The station was full of Alliance haters and anti-council sentiment was at an all time high thanks to…well you know." Des explained.

"How much do you wanna bet Meena was at the center of it all? She's still pissed that Vince left and she's always been jealous of him. Between that and her obsession with Lou, I'm just glad she's not in our division. Let Dylan deal with the headaches."

"According to Rain, Meena wants to join the Beast Brigade." Victor informed him.

"Ha! Like that'll ever happen! That crazy bitch has as much chance of joining Lou's crew as Julian does getting a girlfriend." Axel laughed.

"Um, actually…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Vic, what's the deal? Are you serious?"

"Rain mentioned it during our last vid-chat. Apparently Julian and Liv are an item now."

"Get outta here! You're yanking our chains, right?"

"No, they sound pretty _involved_ based on what my sister told me."

"I can't believe this. I didn't think any man in this galaxy could tame Liv. The Crimson Tiger might really be up there with Lou in terms of awesomeness. Damn, you youngsters are starting to makes us look bad." Axel quipped.

"Julian Steele, I remember him. Mal used to train the whelp. He's strong." Grog brusquely added.

"I can't wait to see how this news affects everyone else once it spreads. Julian and Liv were both pretty popular despite their personality quirks." Des mused.

"Another Hunter daughter spoken for, it would seem they all have boyfriends now except for Sasha." Kana quietly pondered.

"So, this doesn't bother you?" Victor asked in as casual a manner as he could manage.

"No, why would it? Julian and Liv are both friends who deserve to find happiness."

"It's just that…you mentioned how you and Julian write to each other sometimes, so I assumed-"

"That a man and a woman who enjoy communicating with each other, exchanging ideas and sharing philosophies couldn't just be friends who happen to have mutual interests and appreciate each other's conversation? I'm disappointed in you, Victor. I thought you were different from the others. Wiser."

Victor wanted to say something to salvage her opinion of him but before he could, everyone in the hangar was suddenly informed of their arrival outside Yandoa over the intercom.

"Victor, you guys are gonna have to move fast. There's debris everywhere and a couple of ships nearby, alien in design and closing fast. I should be able to keep them busy while all of you make your approaches towards the planet."

"Understood. Be careful Risa."

"If I were careful, I would've never been chosen to be your pilot."

After the ship's senior pilot made her quip, Victor turned to face the small army of soldiers who were all preparing to board shuttles and deploy.

"We all know why we're here and whose life is at stake. So far, the Beast Brigade and Amazons have managed to hog all the fun when it comes to fighting the arbiters but today it's our turn to kill a few crabs. So let's wipe them out and find Angelica! Who are we?!"

"Pride Division!"

"What are are we?!"

"The strongest!"

Following the enthusiastic exchange, everyone present roared before swiftly boarding their designated shuttles. A crowd of soldiers sporting black and red Hellhound armor that bore the Terminus Wolves' insignia on the front and a unique lion emblem on the back began moving in tandem. Once every shuttle was occupied, the hangar doors opened and the vessels immediately sped towards Yandoa leaving the King's Call behind to battle two arbiter frigates. The approach to the planet wasn't easy and Victor hadn't expected it to be. The moment his squads entered Yandoa's airspace, they were targeted by antiaircraft fire from the most bizarre artillery units anyone had ever seen. Giant walking death machines that vaguely resembled lobsters were firing at them from the ground below. The strange contraptions were organic in appearance but also heavily armored. After narrowly dodging several powerful energy beams from the menaces, the Pride Division shuttles began returning fire with their front mounted particle cannons, a new armament that had recently been added to every division's arsenal.

The success of their bombardment was immediate as the strange artillery units exploded in an impressive display, surprising the arbiter ground troops who'd been accompanying them. They obviously hadn't expected to encounter any aircraft capable of taking them down and based on the wreckage that was dotting Yandoa's surface, they'd already destroyed a plethora of Alliance, turian and even a few quarian vessels. Enraged by the Pride Division's destruction of their heavy artillery units, the arbiters began directing their suppressors in an effort to bring down the shuttles. The enormous soldiers quickly took aim at them using their shoulder mounted cannons and opened fire.

"Victor! This is Pride Three, we're hit! Kinetic barriers are down, one of our thrusters was damaged and we're losing control! I'm taking her in for a landing, we'll meet you at the rendezvous location after conducting a sweep of the area!"

"Copy that, get out of here Crystal. We'll handle this."

After responding to the urgent communication from one of his teams, Victor quickly pulled out a strange looking heavy weapon that resembled a Hyperion with multiple openings at the end of the barrel.

"Oh, I've been waiting to test that baby out!" Axel eagerly remarked while rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Yene, swing us to the side. I'm taking these hulks out myself." Victor ordered his quarian pilot.

She instantly responded and after swerving out of the path of several energy beams, she brought the shuttle in a pass over the enemy giants where Victor promptly annihilated them while firing his multi-barreled Hyperion after opening the shuttle's door.

"Hyperion X. I'm glad we were the first to get our hands on a few of the new models." Des thoughtfully remarked after Victor shut the door.

"Now that's a gun." Grog grunted.

"Yene, take us in for a landing. Once we depart, coordinate with the other shuttles and clear out any other heavy artillery units that are still stalking around the colony. Let the other teams know that we're going in on foot to conduct a search of our quadrant and they should do the same. We'll meet up at the designated rendezvous after we've cleared our areas and gained any intel or found Angelica."

"You got it. Tell Angelica I said 'hi' once you do find her."

"I will and Yene? Try not to get yourself killed. I'd never be able to face Nox or Lira."

"Having the young master lion fret over me, this must be my lucky day. I'll be fine, Victor. Worry about yourselves and be careful. This whole situation looks ugly. It's like the entire planet has been invaded."

After making her cryptic remark, his shuttle pilot took them in for a landing near the outskirts of a formerly massive but now utterly destroyed pavilion. Once they'd disembarked, Yene took off while Victor and the others examined the area. The scene was that of a massacre. There were bodies everywhere and blood of every hue stained the wreckage and field around the ruined gathering area. Dead soldiers from every major military were scattered across the region and in many cases, barely recognizable based on how mutilated their remains were. They had obviously put up a fight as there were a few deceased arbiter proletarians around who were all wearing beige armor. There were no signs of their more dangerous brethren among the dead, the Gen Two and Gen Threes had either not been part of the initial onslaught or simply hadn't fallen. Either way, a slaughter had clearly been carried out and a funeral completely ruined.

"This is…unspeakable." Kana whispered.

"I swear if anything has happened to Angelica, I will personally fry these bastards alive." Axel quietly raged.

"We should search the area. There could be survivors." Des skeptically offered but he couldn't mask how doubtful he was of such a scenario.

"They're all dead and you know it. But we might be able to pick up the girl's trail or somebody else's from the Shepard Clan." Grog brusquely responded while scanning the area.

"You're right. Let's fan out and watch yourselves." Victor ordered while pulling out his Lumina assault rifle.

Their search had barely begun when swarms of red arbiter executioners began springing up from beneath the ground and the bodies of the dead. The nimble alien assassins immediately began assaulting them from every direction after extending energy blades from their gauntlets.

"Remember, no external biotics!" Victor shouted after extending an omni-bayonet from his Lumina and engaging his nearest foe.

"There's only one other biotic here but he is the stupid sort." Des joked. Afterwards, he summoned his omni-tool and began working on it as a trio of hostiles surrounded him. Once they closed in, their energy blades suddenly vanished. While they were momentarily distracted, the young turian engineer quickly cut them down using a pair of omni-blades. "I really hate close quarters combat."

"Don't use external biotics." Axel mumbled in an over exaggerated impersonation of Victor while somewhat ironically skating around the battlefield using his biotics. "You'd think I wasn't an older treasure. A mature, experienced warrior of unparalleled caliber. Grog, I'm borrowing a couple of your grenades."

"Wha-"

Before his krogan ally could register what had happened, he'd already relieved him of two frag grenades after darting past. "I always enjoyed doing this with Angelica. We'd have the best races around the station." he continued while zipping through a mob of executioners. After slipping through their ambush attempts, he circled back and savored the explosions that killed them following his skillful deployment of the grenades. "Maybe I'll show her that move after we meet up."

"Stab, stab, stab, it won't do you any good." Grog grumbled while absorbing repeated abuse from his agile aggressors who were struggling to bring him down. After executing half of them at extremely close range with his Advent shotgun, he killed the rest using a carnage blast and casually stomped the next wave that attempted to pop up from the earth beneath him. "They're just like bugs." he scoffed.

Victor found himself the biggest target of the ambush. He wasn't sure why but the creatures were instinctively concentrating most of their aggression against him. However, they were quickly discovering that he wasn't an easy target. After impaling a trio of executioners in rapid succession using his omni-bayonet, he found himself surrounded by an enormous mob of the assassins after more sprouted from the ground.

"The biggest mistake you can ever make is cornering a lion."

After making his statement, Victor created a biotic sphere that encompassed a huge area around him. His adversaries were quick to respond by draining the sphere and the warp effects it was producing but not before he erected a barrier and promptly detonated it, overtaxing their gauntlets and triggering an explosion all at once. In the aftermath, the field around him was littered with enemy corpses that only added to the sea of unfortunate souls who'd already fallen. It appeared he'd successfully cleared the area until a final pair of ambushers leapt from beneath the ground behind him where they were quickly slain by a monomolecular blade. Afterwards, Kana decloaked and put her sword away while chastising him.

"That was careless."

"Not really. I knew you'd be there."

"And suppose I wasn't?"

"But you were."

"Victor, sometimes you aggravate me a great deal even when we're apart."

"Good, that means you think about me."

Before she could offer a response to his subtle flirtation, Axel and the others began rejoining them. "Dafuq was that?! You get on my case about not using biotics and then you nuke half the place with yours! You flashy ass hypocrite!"

"It was clever but risky. There wasn't any way of knowing whether or not they'd be able to absorb that maneuver." Des added.

"I made an assumption that paid off. A lucky guess, basically. I figured these things wouldn't have the same absorption capacity as their bigger cousins and it looks like I was right." Victor explained.

"You've been hanging around the Hunters too long. That crazy streak is starting rub off on you." Axel joked.

"I don't think you of all people should be criticizing anyone about being crazy or reckless. How long do we have this time until you fly off the handle and go full on ballistic?" Victor countered.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"How hurt Angelica is once we find her and I don't just mean physically. Look around Vic. The chances that somebody she cared about didn't end up dying here are pretty slim."

Everyone grew silent following his remark while Des performed a scan of the area using his omni-tool to ensure there weren't any more potential threats lying in wait. After completing his sweep and quickly reviewing his findings, he grew slightly alarmed.

"You're not gonna believe this but I'm picking up some faint life signs near the wreckage of that building. I mean really faint, some poor bastard's about to join the spirits."

"Are you sure it's not a wounded arbiter assassin?" Kana cautiously inquired.

"No, this is definitely not one of those things. I performed a tactical scan during the fight and these readings don't come close to matching theirs. I think it might be a human."

"Alright, let's investigate. Whoever it is might have a lead on Angelica."

After issuing his command, Victor began leading the way towards the source of Des' readings while his turian friend stuck close and guided him. Along the way, the group passed by the remnants of an Alliance shuttle that was still on fire. They all took a moment to peer inside only to discover a dead pilot and three burning bodies inside the passenger section.

"They were trying to escape." Kana sadly whispered.

"It didn't work." Grog bluntly added.

"Be honest with me, Vic. How bad do you think this is?" Axel seriously asked while facing his leader.

"Bad enough for me to hope that we get some additional help and that the galaxy's other militaries hurry up and send their own reinforcements. This looks like the opening stage of a war, a war we already knew was coming. I'm pretty sure most of these people couldn't say the same."

After giving a candid but grim assessment of the situation, Victor continued to lead the way towards their intended destination. Upon reaching the crumbled remains of a wall that was surrounded by the corpses of fallen arbiter proletarians in beige, Victor had Grog lift the fallen obstruction which revealed a painful sight to behold. Lying in a pile of rubble was a middle-aged human man dressed in black and covered head to toe in more injuries than anyone could count. His suit was in tatters and he'd obviously been bleeding out for quite awhile. Three of his limbs were completely mangled and half of his face had been burned, badly. The fact that he was still conscious and breathing was a small miracle. After taking a few labored breaths, the man slowly inspected the soldiers standing over him with his one remaining eye before twisting his face into a smile that would likely be his last.

"Mal's…Wolves…"

"Yeah, that's us." Victor quietly confirmed before kneeling beside him. "Sorry to be blunt but we're here for Angelica and you don't have much time left. Can you help us?"

"Angelica…don't know…everything got pretty crazy after Dad's speech…whole family…scattered…she and Cammie…saw them with their unit…shouted something about a hospital…a hospital…"

"Alright, I guess we've got our next objective. Is there anything I can do for you before-"

"Before I die? You're not much like your father…that ex-zodiac guy who's friends with Mal…he would've been a little more courteous…but you're in a hurry, I get that…if you can, help the rest of my family. I know you're not obligated and your priority is Angelica but please…a lot of them are just kids…they're not…listen, you have to find my brother. This whole thing, it's my fault…I discovered something…tell Ethan…tell him that the salarians aren't responsible. He'll understand…and give him this…"

The dying man then struggled to hand Victor a bloody datapad with a mutilated arm that served as his only remaining functional limb. Victor promptly took it and grasped the stranger's disfigured hand.

"You…you used to hang out with Nate…you came with him to a few of Angelica's birthday parties…do me one more favor…my wife and boys…they got a shuttle…did it make it?"

"We didn't see any shuttle debris, so I guess they did."

Victor's teammates remained stone faced after hearing him lie to the man. They understood why and none of them planned to question his judgment on the matter.

"That's one less thing to worry about…Cassie…why didn't you just stay home like I asked…you and the boys…tell Mal we're all sorry about Leon…we're so sorry…tell him he was right…council…can't trust…Castlebrook…don't trust Castle…"

Before he could finish his warning, the man finally passed on while clutching Victor's hand. The young leader of the Pride Division continued to hold the stranger's hand for several seconds before finally releasing it. Afterwards, he got to his feet and turned to face his squad.

"Axel, you were worried about how hurt Angelica would be. Well, she just lost another uncle and an entire branch of her family. This is William Shepard."

His friend remained silent after hearing the news and simply clenched his fists in a rage.

"Let's go. It only gets worse from here."

He had no idea how accurate his statement would end up being.


	46. Chapter 46 Scattered Shepards

Chapter 46: Scattered Shepards

None of it felt real. How could it? After everything they'd already suffered, how could fate or god or whoever ruled the cosmos possibly be any crueler? And yet there they were, once again plagued by tragedy. What should have been a somber and meaningful farewell to a man that many considered to be a role model, mentor and teacher had quickly unraveled into complete chaos and disaster. The events still felt like an awful nightmare, a bad dream that simply wouldn't end. Crowds of mourners listening to the heartfelt speech from an Alliance Admiral and legend, explosions that suddenly shook the area, screaming, the appearance of the arbiters, fighting and death. It was enough to break anyone but for the young people who'd witnessed the horrors firsthand and survived, it was far worse. They may have all been part of a renowned lineage, in fact some even carried the name of that legacy, but that didn't change the fact that they were all still children and now survivors of the worst massacre in recent history. Worst of all, they were separated. Together, they could face it. All of it. While apart, the madness and brutality threatened to consume each of them. This was especially true for a youth who was very much like his deceased father. Simon Graham hadn't honestly believed that his family could be tormented any further. He was wrong.

"Boy, collect your sister and mother. It is time we moved."

The brusque command came from a soldier who'd seen and experienced far worse events during the course of his lifetime. The slaughter that had just been unleashed hadn't fazed him in the slightest and he'd been one of the few people in attendance who was able to successfully battle the arbiters. Javik was a mystery to all of the younger members of the Shepard family. He was a prothean, the last in fact and a survivor of the Reaper War of ages long past. He was also an old friend of the Shepard family patriarch and his oldest son, Ethan. He rarely took notice of the children in the family and in many cases, ignored them entirely. It was a fact that made his actions during the recent mayhem all the more puzzling. Javik had chosen to save Simon and his sister, Katelyn. He'd covered their escape along with their emotionally distraught mother's and gotten them all to safety. Despite the utter pandemonium and bloodshed that had erupted during the funeral proceedings, he'd never lost sight of the pair of youths. While the rest of the family and their friends were dispersed in different directions with hundreds of others during the violence, he'd taken the initiative to secure the safety of Isaac's widow and children. As for his reasons, they'd likely remain a closely guarded secret. Javik wasn't in the habit of divulging his motivations and a few decades living in the current cycle hadn't changed that.

"Boy! Did you hear what I said? This place is vulnerable to attack and those creatures have your scent. They hunt you just as they did your father. We must leave and quickly."

Simon was still trembling on the floor in a small corner of the room where they'd all taken shelter. Having escaped the carnage at his father's funeral, the teenager, his mother and sister had all fled with Javik to the first place that came to his mind during the frantic escape. His grandparents' old home. Isaac's parents had been residents of Yandoa before their deaths at the hands of Equinox many years earlier and following the war with the Trio, he'd reclaimed their house and restored it. The Grahams often spent vacations there during happier days. The fact that the emotionally scarred and terrified remnants of his family were taking refuge there now was a bitter pill to swallow for everyone involved. The moment they'd arrived, Javik had stashed them all inside a small guestroom on the second floor while he laid a few traps at all the entrances and surveyed the surrounding region outside the house. Eluding the arbiters hadn't been easy and their current respite was only temporary. The monsters were after Simon and determined to capture him.

"Maybe…maybe I should surrender myself to them. If it puts an end to this-"

"NO!"

The screams of defiance were almost instantaneous and filled the entire room.

"Don't you even think about it Simon! I won't let you! You hear me?! I won't!"

The fervent declaration was immediately followed by tears as his sister sobbed in their mother's lap on a bed across the room. Hannah had seen better days, far better. At no point in her life had she suffered so much loss and she wasn't planning to lose anything or anyone else, especially her children.

"Simon, if I have to knock you out and drag you off this planet myself, I'll do it. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way and sacrifice whatever I have to in order to keep you alive and safe. Both of you. I'm only going to say this once. Don't give up. Your father never did and he fought against things you can't even imagine. You two, you're all that remains of…I'm getting you both out of here. We're all going home and we're going to cry some more. It's going to hurt and it'll never stop hurting. But the pain will fade, at least a little because we'll be together and we'll have each other."

Simon took a moment to absorb his mother's words before being handed a heavy pistol and a few thermal clips from Javik. "I'm sure you know the basics. That is the newest model of the quarians' Arc Pistol. It is adequate. You can no longer run, boy. Isn't that what you decided?"

Simon's hands shook a little after accepting the firearm but he quickly steadied himself before getting to his feet. "I'm ready."

"No, you aren't. But you will be. Come."

The moment they'd all readied themselves to move was the moment that the next wave of havoc broke out. Javik's traps were being triggered on the ground floor, they could hear the explosions and feel the resulting tremors shake the house.

"They've arrived." Javik calmly announced while pulling out his particle rifle.

"Kay, take this. Shoot to kill and remember what I taught you." Hannah sternly ordered after presenting her daughter with a Samaritan Heavy Pistol and a small supply of thermal clips.

"I will, Mom. I'm tired of running."

After taking a breath she checked the sights on her new weapon and prepared herself for the worst. They all prepared to leave the room when the windows suddenly shattered and a mob of red arbiter executioners began pouring inside. They were immediately met with particle beams and gunfire as everyone retreated to a door that led to the hallway. Once they were outside the room, Javik used a biotic slam to hammer a large cabinet onto the enemy stragglers before tossing a lift grenade at the door and triggering a collapse of the ceiling that buried the entire room.

"Go! There are more coming!"

The frenzy of combat continued as they fought their way down the hallway and steps, shooting through more swarms of the agile pursuers who attacked from every direction using strange energy blades. After finally reaching the ground floor, they all noticed a large explosive sitting in the middle of the living room.

"Javik, what is that?!" Simon asked between gunfire.

"A means of ensuring these creatures' demise. It will delay any further attempts at pursuing us. I've already armed it."

"What?! How much time do we have?!" Katelyn demanded.

"A few minutes I suppose. I still have trouble utilizing your primitive measurements of time."

"Are you serious?! Javik-"

"Simon, just hurry! We can't afford to linger!" Hannah ordered while gunning down another executioner. "Isaac, I hope you and your parents can forgive us. But it's for the sake of our little ones." she quietly lamented.

As they struggled to fight their way towards the backdoor of the kitchen through the ever expanding army of hostiles, another intruder suddenly announced his presence-A far more dangerous one.

" **Apprehend the male Graham child and bring him to me. We must procure all the alternatives."**

The words exploded inside the heads of everyone present as a red controller appeared in the front entryway with a squad of similarly colored proletarians.

"This one will prove to be more difficult. Maintain your distance." Javik cautioned before opening fire on the controller.

His warning quickly proved to be futile as Simon found himself overwhelmed by executioners and a pair of proletarians that had jetted towards him. After seizing the youth, they took to the air while holding him and attempted to fly back to their commander but were immediately floored by an overload.

"Simon, get up before that thing gets a hold of you!"

His sister's panic roused him to his feet where another proletarian was waiting to snatch him. As the creature's hand reached out, he quickly deflected it with his arm and summoned his omni-tool before punching his assailant in the face. He ignored the resulting explosion that killed the monster and instead opened fire on the two proletarians who'd attempted to abduct him while they were still lying on the floor. After executing them, he ran towards his mother and sister who were already covering his escape.

"Both of you go with Javik and don't look back."

"Mom, what are you-"

"NOW! Get the hell out of here! GO!"

Before either of her children could argue further, Hannah embraced them. She knew what she had to do.

"I love you both. Take care of each other, alright?"

"Mom, we're not leaving you!"

"If anyone's going to hold these things here, it'll be me. This is the way it should be. Grandpa Graham, Dad…maybe the men in this family just aren't meant to live long lives. And I guess having Shepard blood won't change that."

Hannah responded by gently placing a hand on her son's face while gunfire and explosions continued to ring out in the background as Javik cleared an escape route through the kitchen.

"You're as brilliant as your father, Simon. So don't say such stupid things." she gently scolded before stunning both of her children using an overload with a mild neural shock. "Javik!"

As if responding to a cue, the prothean soldier promptly seized both Simon and Katelyn with a biotic pull. He then caught the youths after they drifted towards him and turned to leave.

"Take care of my babies, Javik."

"When the time comes, I will observe and do nothing more. If they are strong, they will survive. If not, they will die. That is the Cosmic Imperative and it hasn't changed. The proof is all around us."

"You're still an asshole. You couldn't even give me that one piece of mind before I die."

"I don't coddle and I never have. Goodbye, Hannah Shepard."

Javik then disappeared through the back door of the kitchen but not before barring the way behind him using his biotics and bringing down a portion of the ceiling.

"They'll just have to be strong." Hannah sadly whispered before turning to face the controller and his small army of subordinates.

" **Your actions are meaningless. You've changed nothing."**

"That's where you're wrong. I've changed everything."

The ferocious battle that followed the brief exchange wouldn't last long, a massive explosion that would end up decimating the small home saw to that.

"MOM!"

"WHY!?"

Javik remained unmoved by the anguish of the grief stricken teens who were slung across his shoulders. They still had a lot of ground to cover. There would be more enemies to contend with before long and the field that he was currently traversing was open ground and left them far too vulnerable to attack.

"Your mother died like a warrior. A pity her children won't follow her example."

His admonishment was met by sobs that quickly started to grate on his nerves.

"Very soon, I'm going to drop the both of you. Whether you choose to stand and fight or continue your worthless crying will determine the validity of her sacrifice. War forges both the strong and weak."

After coming to a stop, he followed through on his promise and unceremoniously dumped both teens to the ground where they continued to cry.

"Boy, this is just the beginning. If you were serious about honing yourself, then now is the time. Remember, I don't waste my efforts."

Javik's words had barely reached Simon but he did hear them. He was tired and suffering agony that he couldn't imagine ever recovering from. But a small part of him was still standing firm, perhaps even more so after everything thing that had just transpired and everything he'd lost. Now more than ever, he needed to get stronger. The prothean soldier was right about one thing, he couldn't afford to be weak. Not if he planned to confront the arbiters and seek vengeance for his parents. Not if he wanted to set things right in the galaxy. And not if he planned to walk the path of so many Shepards before him. After stifling his tears, he finally got to his feet where his sister was already waiting while readying her pistol. He immediately reloaded the thermal clip in his own before wiping his face.

"We're ready."

Javik didn't offer a response and simply began leading the way forward. With any luck they'd be able to reunite with the rest of their family. Until then, they were on their own.

* * *

"Helluva welcome home, isn't it?"

The grim joke made by Keith Hawkins to his cousin Leanne did serve to lighten the mood if only slightly. They and their cousin Noah were currently trapped in a small alley that was surrounded by arbiter patrols who were actively seeking to hunt them down. The youths had already survived a skirmish with a small squad of the creatures during an early attempt at scouting the outlying streets of the neighborhood where they were hiding. The arbiters were still trying to capture Leanne but they were far more callous in regards to her cousins and the rest of her family whom they simply wanted to kill.

"This is all too awful for words. How could those things…they actually tried to steal Uncle Isaac's body. I just…I can't-"

"None of us can, Leanne. If Grandpa hadn't incinerated his remains when they first made their move, damn. It nearly killed him to do it, I could tell." Noah sadly interjected.

"I hope Simon and Kay are alright. Shit! How much damage are these freaks gonna do to our family?!" Keith raged.

"I think it's safe to say they've invaded the whole colony. They've probably also taken out the comm. buoys in the system which means we won't be able to contact anyone for help."

"Leanne, half the galaxy was watching when this crap went down. There have to be reinforcements coming from somewhere. Almost every major government had representatives and soldiers attending the funeral, they can't just ignore this."

"Keith's right. Somebody had to see what was going on before the plug got pulled." Noah insisted.

"Only if the comm. buoys weren't destroyed before the broadcast could be made. Let's hope the ships in the system managed to protect them long enough." Leanne reminded him.

"You really think they managed to wipe out every ship in the system?"

"I do. Keith, I was aboard one of their dreadnoughts. I know what these things are capable of."

"We could really use your boyfriend right now or better yet his big brothers and the rest of the Terminus Wolves." Noah quietly stated.

"We can't-I can't keep relying on Nate and his family. We'll have to get through this on our own."

"I'm glad Dad isn't here. He'd actually try to take these bastards on in his wheelchair." Keith humorously mused.

"Uncle Darryl is relentless and stubborn." Leanne chuckled. "All of our parents are."

"So, where do we go from here?" Noah pondered.

"We should try to get to the hospital. It's the most fortified location in the entire city and that's probably where the survivors are regrouping." Leanne suggested.

"That sounds cool and all but we're still surrounded in every direction and you're the only one who's armed, sort of." Keith reminded her.

"I'll bet you both wish you'd spent more time brushing up on tech skills instead of focusing on your fists and shooting." Leanne teased.

"Get off our backs. Even if we had, we'd never be able to pull off the crap you do. Are you some kind of engineering witch?"

"I'll remember that Keith."

"I was being serious. Leanne, you trashed a whole squad of those monsters in red without even flinching or getting your hands dirty and the ones in beige never even made it near us thanks to Bobo. Just what the hell are you?"

"Miss Sublime." Leanne casually replied before winking at him.

"I'm starting to understand what Angelica meant when she said you were the real sorceress in the family. But I'm glad we have you and that you're the one who's with us right now."

"You just earned a hug Noah but I'll have to give it to you later. It's time for us to leave."

After making her announcement, Leanne pulled a small metallic sphere from her pocket and tossed it into the air where it quickly took flight and circled the area before vanishing. She then summoned her omni-tool and pulled up a video feed of the entire neighborhood that was presumably being transmitted by her strange device.

"No way." Noah whispered in awe.

"She really is the best." Keith proudly admitted.

"Alright, there's a sky car we can use that's not far from here. A small patrol of those red ninja things is moving around nearby but we should be able to take them out before the more dangerous ones notice us. Once we're inside, we'll make a beeline for the hospital."

"Do you think everyone else will be there? That they're okay?"

"I hope so Noah. But I don't think we need to worry too much. All of our parents are soldiers and so are Angelica and Cammie."

"And that idiot, Jayce. As stupid as he is, I still want to make sure he's okay. Kev too."

"Cammie's tough but I still worry about her. It's the same with Benji. Damn it, I hate this!" Noah suddenly cursed in frustration.

"Hey, we all do. This whole thing is-"

"Keith, you don't understand. I hate being useless. What happened at the funeral…it was the ugliest most ruthless display I've ever seen. And I couldn't stop it. All I could do was run while my parents and big sister did the fighting. You know what makes it even worse? The fact that Leanne's the only reason I'm still alive right now. My cousin saved my life. My cousin who just got back from her own near death experience. I'm completely worthless and I'm carrying the name Shepard to boot."

"Sorry, I nodded off when you started whining about being useless. You and I are in the same boat. We always have been. All you could do was run? Well join the club. You had to stand by and watch your big sister outshine you? Well try doing that every day of your life while living with a sorceress who can run circles around anything you do at any given moment. You got your ass saved by your favorite cousin? Hey, me too. As far as the name goes, to hell with it. I've always said that. You're the baby Shepard and I'm the baby Hawkins, both black sheep and proud of it. We may not be able to do much of anything right now but it won't stay that way. So shut up and stop complaining because I'm just as pathetic as you are."

"You're still lousy at this."

"So what? If it was anyone else, I wouldn't even bother. I'd just leave them to stew in self-pity. But you're my cousin, best friend and future partner in crime. I can't have you falling apart on me."

"You're such an ass."

"And you still hang out with me, so what does that make you?"

"Probably worse. Thanks Keith."

"No problem. Maybe next time I'll just hit you. That works too, right?"

After observing the playful exchange between her younger cousins and smiling, Leanne turned her attention back to her omni-tool. It was time to make their move. She could only hope that the others were safe and they'd somehow manage to reunite.

* * *

"Well this ranks pretty high on my list of shittiest days ever."

"I hear you. I never thought I'd live to see a day that was worse than when my mother caught me sneaking home past sunrise after sleeping over-"

"Shut up! Both of you!"

Jayce Hawkins was in a bad mood that was only growing worse by the second. Like every other member of his family, he'd just survived something horrific and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it. His younger brother and cousin however, had obviously discovered their own way of coping. The trio were carefully concealing themselves on the rooftop of an electronics store that was overlooking a crowded street below, a street that happened to be full of arbiters.

"Do you realize what just happened? What those monsters did? How many people just died? What they tried to do to Uncle Isaac's body?"

"No Jayce, we don't have a clue. We just got here, remember? It's not like we were all there mourning, listening to granddad give his address and then, BOOM."

"You know, I just don't understand you. You or Keith. I never have. There was a time when I thought I did, that maybe you'd both just grow out of this bullshit. His stupid rebellious attitude against anything having to do with authority and your casual flouting of rules with that cavalier attitude. I guess you both get it from Dad but at least he can actually take some things seriously."

"Okay, so we're really gonna do this now? Right here after our uncle's funeral just got wrecked by a bunch of sadistic aliens? Fine, let's get this out of the way. I'm not like you Jayce and neither is Keith. We follow the beats of our own drums and that's never gonna change. Deal with it. I don't know why you care anyway, neither of us is planning to join the Alliance so you'll be spared of any embarrassment that might tarnish your precious image."

"Fuck you, Kev. You don't have any idea how hard I've had to work since I joined all because of-"

"Here we go again. Dad, right? You know what? I hope Lloyd lays you out again the next time you see each other. He's had to face the same obstacles as you and that hasn't stopped him from climbing the ladder or staying true to who he is."

"That guy's a disgrace and the whole reason Dad can't get ahead. That and his crew, reputation, attitude, shoddy record-I could go on for days."

"We're all terribly sorry that your last name is Hawkins and not Shepard. It's not too late to change it."

"Kev, you're really pushing me right now. You really think being a fighter in the pros is gonna keep me from kicking your ass? We can go right now if you-"

"Sorry to interrupt but wouldn't Angelica have technically had it harder? I mean, her dad is the Terminus Hunter. Between that and having Uncle Darryl for a stepdad, it just seems like she probably had it a lot worse than you." Benji casually cut in.

They all fell silent after he made his remark. "I asked her once. Why she didn't just run off to join her father's organization instead of the Alliance. You know what she said?" Jayce asked while recalling the event. "She said, 'I'm just not a Wolf' and then smiled. It was right after she'd gotten home during her first leave. I could tell she'd been through hell even though she tried to hide it by joking around with us. Mom and Dad could see it too."

"I've always wondered why she kept it. The name Hunter. It doesn't seem like it suits her at all. Their whole family is, um, kind of scary." Kevin mused.

"That's putting it mildly." Jayce added.

"Well unlike you she's actually got good reasons for changing her name. I can't help but wonder why she hasn't. I'm pretty sure her father wouldn't mind. He did support her decision to join the Alliance and even saw her off and came back to attend her graduation." Kevin pondered.

"She probably doesn't want to let go of that thread. The one thing that ties her to the Terminus Hunter. Nobody wants to cast aside their father."

"Except you."

"I've had enough, Kev. You're not a soldier and you've got no idea what it's like being a member of the Shepard family and an outsider in the military. Dad's reputation dogs me at every turn. I'll admit, it would be easier if I didn't have the name Hawkins nipping at my heels all the time."

"Sounds like a fun challenge to me. I can't wait to join up to play up my 'Hawkins' roots." Benji quipped.

"What?"

"You heard me. The glitz and glamour of the Shepard name are all fine and good but I'd prefer a good handicap. Which is why I plan to tell everyone I meet all about my favorite uncle, the Biotic Brawler."

"You can joke now Benji but you'll change your tune quickly enough once you do enlist."

"No, I won't. Jayce, we've got a pretty big family full of all types and I'm not ashamed of a single one of them. Uncle Darryl is reckless, brutal, infamous and one of the best soldiers in the entire Alliance. Even the people who hate him the most have admitted that he's saved more lives than they can count. He's not a model soldier and he never will be but I still respect him. That's just my opinion though and I'm his nephew not his son. But right now I have to be grateful for every uncle I have left."

The roof fell silent again after Benji offered his perspective while the arbiter forces below slowly moved on.

"Uncle Isaac…we didn't even get to give him a proper burial." Jayce quietly lamented.

"It couldn't be helped. Granddad had to torch his body before those things could get their claws on him." Kevin sadly added.

"He deserved better than this. Uncle Isaac was a peacemaker and practically a saint. I'm not the vengeful type but I won't forget what those things did, any of it." Benji vowed while clenching his fists.

"None of us will. Let's go. The freaks have finally cleared the street. Stick close and keep your pistols ready." Jayce ordered his cousins while prepping an assault rifle.

They needed to find the rest of their family and fast.

* * *

"Admiral, we've secured the perimeter around the hospital and gotten all of the wounded inside. We also managed to evacuate the civilians in the area."

"How? The enemy heavy artillery units were blasting everything in sight just a few hours ago."

"We're not sure. It looks they've been destroyed based on the wreckage. I could send a reconnaissance team to get a better look-"

"No. Focus on fortifications here and getting our remaining defensive turrets online. This hospital was built based on krogan design specs, so it can take a beating. I want every available soldier we have manning the non-automated guns and our combat engineers ready to mobilize. Those monsters have some nasty kinetic barriers protecting them and I don't want a repeat of what happened at the pavilion."

"Yes sir!"

After saluting Shepard, an eager young lieutenant promptly left the office that was serving as a temporary command center for the displaced forces that had survived the massacre at Isaac's funeral. Images of the attack and resulting slaughter were still haunting Shepard and so was the desperate action he'd taken in order to ensure that the arbiters wouldn't be able to claim his deceased son-in-law's body. He took a moment to rub the back of his neck before taking a seat behind a desk and shutting his eyes. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Isaac was supposed to get an honored farewell that was worthy of him. Instead he got a bloodbath that would forever be tied to his final sendoff.

"I'm sorry Isaac. I let you down. You, Hannah, the kids and everyone else."

"That's not true and you know it."

He didn't bother opening his eyes to see who'd suddenly entered the room. He already knew before she'd even opened her mouth.

"How can I not feel responsible for this Ash? Hundreds dead, Isaac in ashes instead of buried with his parents and our grandchildren all missing. Not to mention Hannah, Will and Cassie. I should've never allowed this spectacle. We basically painted a giant bull's-eye on the memorial."

"This would've happened regardless of how big the ceremony was and you know it. Those things have been after Isaac from the very beginning and they weren't going to just give up."

"Maybe but holding a service this big was still a mistake. How are things looking around the hospital? I just got a basic overview from Higgins."

"The older students from Grissom are doing what they can to help with the defenses. There are a lot of young biotics and engineers among them, so that's good news. Jack's already organizing everyone into squads. Garrus has a few of his snipers positioned at key points around the building and they've all been equipped with the latest in the Krysae series, that should help tear through those creatures' kinetic barriers. Tali has her marines patrolling the inner perimeter and setting up shield pylons. Miranda is still out searching for Hannah and the kids with Kasumi and Jacob's trying to find Leanne. Nobody knows where Javik disappeared to and everyone else is working to strengthen our position here."

"How could we lose track of them? Especially at a time like this?"

"It was already chaos John and the minute you stopped those monsters from getting Isaac's body, they decided to make it personal by targeting the kids."

"Was it just personal? We know they tried to take Leanne once before but the way they went after Simon…I don't like it Ash. If they're trying to take him as a replacement for his father-"

"Then we'll stop them. We're not losing any more children and we're damn sure not losing any grandchildren to those abominations."

Before they could continue their discussion, their three remaining children suddenly barged in.

"Jacob, Miranda and Kasumi just got back. They didn't find the kids." Ethan announced in an uneasy tone.

"Dad, we're heading out. Too many people are missing and we can't afford to lose anyone else, especially now." David urgently added.

"We've already done everything we can to fortify this place. You can use our teams at your discretion but we're going to find our children and the rest of the family." Allie informed him. Her tone made it clear that she wouldn't be dissuaded.

"I understand, go. But be careful."

As the frantic parents prepared to leave, several large explosions sounded in the distance.

"A battle? How? All of our people are here. Oh no, we have to move!" Ethan shouted moments before a tremor shook the building.

"It looks like they're coming at us again! Damn them!" David raged while steadying himself.

"Let's finish this fast and then head to the source of the first explosion. I'm worried." Allie quickly added before leading the way out of the office while her bothers followed leaving their parents behind to briefly stare outside the window.

"It's too much to ask, isn't it? That they all be okay." Shepard sadly pondered before grabbing a pistol from the desk and joining his wife.

* * *

"Angelica, behind you!"

Her cousin's warning triggered an instant and instinctual response as the young soldier disappeared from view before reappearing behind a pair of red arbiter executioners as they attempted to ambush her. She then initiated a pair of biotic palm strikes from their rear and killed them before swiftly creating several afterimages of herself as more hostiles closed in. While they struggled to identify her real form, she executed every arbiter around her in rapid succession using a Spark Surge heavy pistol.

"She just loves to show off." Cammie muttered after kicking her own assailant in the face before promptly blasting the creature with her shotgun. "I wish your dad would consider giving the rest of us some particle weapons. Or better yet, that we could replicate a few. Too bad they're protected by the most sophisticated Fabricated Rights Management in the galaxy."

After expressing her discontent, she quickly tossed a frag grenade at an approaching trio of red proletarians who immediately took to the air in order to avoid the resulting detonation using the jets in their armor. Cammie responded by firing a concussive round that knocked them all out of the air before finishing them off with several explosive rounds from her Striker Assault Rifle.

"Then again, the lower tech stuff still gets the job done."

After making her quip, she took a moment to scan the area for any more possible hostiles while her cousin did the same. A minute later, they both regrouped behind the overturned hammerhead that had served as their transport less than an hour earlier. The freeway where they'd crashed was practically decimated and littered with dozens of other vehicles and aircraft that had been destroyed. There were also bodies. Civilians, soldiers and the remnants of most of their squad. One of the best Valkyrie units in the entire Alliance was now down to just four people and one of them was fading fast. While taking in the sight of their fallen friends and comrades, both women couldn't help but feel defeated in more ways than one.

"Let's see how the commander is holding up." Angelica finally suggested.

"Amy's tougher than anyone. She'll pull through."

"I hope you're right."

Their CO was an old friend of Angelica's mother and a former colleague who'd shared the same squad when they were both younger. There were plenty of pictures featuring her, Allie, Zoe and Margaret Ellis, the final member of their gang of older Valkyries decorating her parents' home back on Earth. After releasing a sigh Angelica quietly led the way towards a small, heavily fortified shield pylon that had been erected behind a battered antique mako that was lying in ruins not far from the hammerhead. Establishing the defensive measure had been the final act of heroism that one of their young engineers managed before falling during the earlier stages of the battle. The young woman's body was still lying lifeless a few feet away while clutching a pistol.

"Tamara, Marianne, Camille, Xiao, Steph, Emma, Suzu, Lynne…They're all dead Cammie." Angelica whispered while staring at her deceased ally.

"I know. Damn it, I know!"

After voicing her frustration, Cammie knelt down and secured her teammate's dog tag before gently shutting her eyes.

"Your father, will he really come? Did that that pendant actually work?"

"Somebody will show, Cammie. It may not be my father himself but someone from the Wolves will definitely be here. I'm certain of it. Half of them might hate me but that doesn't change the fact that none of them want to see me dead."

"How does that even make sense?"

"It just does. That's the way it's always been. Some are friends, the best people you could imagine. Some are acquaintances, polite and amiable but always distant. Others are completely hostile and only as nice as they have to be for the sake of pleasing my dad. Despite that, they all have one thing in common when it comes to me. They'll kill anyone and anything that threatens my life. Their reasons are all different but it's a constant that I've always been able to rely on."

"I still don't get it but then again, I've never understood how things work between you and your father's people."

Angelica responded by giving her cousin a brief but slightly sad smile before continuing past the pylon where several figures were awaiting them.

"It's about time you got back. The commander's getting weaker by the minute and this crybaby news reporter won't stop sobbing."

The somewhat harsh greeting came from another surviving member of their squad. The alluring young woman held the distinction of being the only other biotic member of their outfit and one of their toughest overall soldiers. She was also the daughter of a fairly well known Alliance captain, a woman that Angelica's stepfather despised for some reason.

"Even in a situation like this you can't stop being a complete bitch. God I hate you." Cammie scoffed.

"Don't either of you start. We've got enough problems as it is." Angelica ordered before taking notice of her wounded CO who was barely conscious on the ground behind the pylon.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I tried to help that other soldier with tending to her injuries but I-I'm just a journalist! I-I-I can't deal with this! People have been massacred, the colony's being invaded, we're all going to die aren't we?!"

"Get it together." Angelica sternly warned her unwelcome charge before kneeling down beside her commander. "Amy, can you hear me? It's Angelica. Cammie and I just got back. Our position is secure now, so I think it'll be safe to move you."

"Just like your mother. I really miss those days with her, Zoe, Margy, Nina, Alexa…Nina and Alexa…I really wish they'd gotten to see you grow up. You're our little Valkyrie. You know that don't you?"

The woman took a deep breath before placing a bloodied hand across Angelica's cheek. The very same hand that had been clutching a critical wound on her chest that medi-gel seemed incapable of sealing.

"Mom and Aunt Zoe are waiting for us. Okay?"

As if sensing the pleading in Angelica's voice, her CO simply smiled. "Tell them it's time for me to go with the real Valkyries. Make sure Cammie and Elena don't kill each other once I'm gone. And Angelica? Don't…don't ever deny who you are. Shepard or otherwise. Understand?"

"I never have and I never will. I promise."

"Good. Then I've done my part to repay your pain-in-the-ass father for all the times he helped us and rescued you. Be good, Angelica. But if you have to, don't be afraid to be bad. Sometimes…sometimes…"

Before she could finish giving her final bit of advice, Commander Amy Smith finally slipped away. Her departure from life left a depressing silence within the group.

"Let's go." Angelica finally announced after taking her deceased CO's dog tag.

"We should collect everyone else's tags before we leave." Cammie somberly suggested.

"I already did." Elena quietly responded before reaching into a compartment on her armor and withdrawing an assortment of ID tags. "No one's going to forget their sacrifices. I'll see to it myself."

"Good. Let's head out. We still need to reach the hospital."

"This whole situation is like one bad dream. I hope our families are okay. I know Mom and Dad probably are but you never know when it comes to Benji. He's too much like Dad and Grandpa. And Noah's always trying to prove how tough he is by hanging out with Keith and getting into fights. I'm scared Angelica. The last time we saw each other I chewed them both out over something stupid. What if-"

"Don't say it. Don't you dare say it. Cammie, they're going to be fine. We're all going to be fine. We have to believe that. I have to believe that. I'm not ready to lose anyone else in my life. Leon, Uncle Isaac, our friends, Amy-No more. Thank God Darryl is safe back on Arcturus with his crew and Lloyd watching over him. I don't know how I'd handle him being caught up in this, especially in his condition."

"Captain Hawkins…how is he?" Elena reluctantly asked while trying to remain casual.

"Why do you care?" Cammie instantly responded while glaring at her.

"Because I do. Problem?"

"Yeah, a big one. We just watched half of this colony get slaughtered along with our friends, comrades and innocent people-all without you so much as flinching. Now you're suddenly asking about my uncle. Why?"

"I can choose to care about whomever I want Shepard. It's really none of your business either way."

"You heartless little c-"

"Cammie! Enough! Elena, Darryl's fine. He's still bedridden for the most part but the doctors are optimistic that he'll be able to start his rehab in a few weeks." Angelica quickly explained.

"That's good to hear. He's an amazing soldier and a good man based on what I've been told."

"That's shocking. Most people like to badmouth Uncle Darryl behind his back. Who exactly have you been talking to?" Cammie suspiciously inquired.

"My mother."

"You mean Captain Almaraz? Carmen Almaraz?"

"Do you happen to know some other captain who shares my last name?"

"Don't try to be cute. I don't get it. She and Uncle Darryl hate each other. Or at least he hates her."

"Cammie, just drop it. Now's not the time or place to be discussing this. Darryl hates lots of Alliance officers and politicians and media newscasters and-Let's just say he has a long list of people who annoy him."

"Um, excuse me? But are you referring to the Biotic Brawler?"

The trio of soldiers quickly turned their attention back to the trembling news reporter who was still struggling to gather her bearings.

"Why do you ask? Are you hoping to gather more dirt on him so that you and your colleagues can do another false exposé?"

"No! Lieutenant Almeraz, right? I'm just a field reporter. This whole war correspondence thing was forced on me at the last minute as soon as it looked like this planet was being invaded. I've spent most of my career covering ribbon cuttings and puff pieces, nothing like this. I may not be one of the big league journalists but I'm no shameless scandal chaser either. Galaxy Gossip is a disgrace to my profession. This whole situation has me terrified and I'm not afraid to admit it but someone has to cover the story in its entirety no matter how ugly it gets. I never saw myself as an Emily Wong but here I am. Hopefully, my luck will end up being better than hers."

The soldiers continued observing her before Cammie finally offered the young woman a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Stick with us news lady and maybe it will."

"We never did get your name." Elena added.

"Actually, you did. Quite a few times but I guess you couldn't hear me over the sounds of fighting, explosions and people dying." the reporter replied before taking a deep breath. "It's Nima. Nima Ahluwalia. Thank you again for saving my life."

The young soldiers all gave her a nod and afterwards all four women quietly departed. They still had a long way to go.


	47. Chapter 47 Strength

Chapter 47: Strength

A decimated playground covered in ash and debris. A once pleasant neighborhood recreation area now laid in ruins, littered with the fragmented remains of toys and worse…Nonetheless, this was where a trio of survivors was now camping out while recuperating from their arduous journey.

After taking a moment to stare up at the night sky while warming himself in front of a small fire, Simon glanced over at his sister who had finally fallen asleep next to him. She hadn't left his side since their chaotic and tragic departure from their grandparents' home and refused to do so even after they'd finally lost their pursuers thanks to Javik's dubious battle tactics. They'd spent hours cutting through bombed out buildings, alleys, fields, torn up gardens and even cemeteries while the prothean veteran set up traps and ambushed enemy scouts who made the unfortunate mistake of attempting to trail them. But he hadn't spared the two teens from combat entirely. During every hostile encounter, he allowed a few of the weakest arbiter soldiers past his defenses in order to force the children to defend themselves and he didn't intervene during the resulting skirmishes. Simon and Katelyn had now killed more enemy combatants than most seasoned soldiers and the experience was truly bitter. They were also exhausted and emotionally numb. Both of their parents were now dead and all they had left was each other.

After taking note of the chill in the air and observing his sister's shivering, Simon removed his grimy and battered suit jacket and placed it over her while she continued her troubled slumber. Her murmurs of anguish had begun almost immediately after she'd drifted asleep. Slowly, gently, he placed a hand across her face. Her terrors instantly ceased and she unconsciously placed her hand on his as her breathing calmed.

"I suppose we're orphans now, Kay."

He nearly choked on the statement after making it and quickly shut his eyes in order to fight back the tears that were threatening to rush forth once more. He'd taken it upon himself not to cry since their escape but found it increasingly difficult not to do so especially when he saw how much his sister was suffering.

"You aren't the first and you won't be the last."

Javik made no effort to soften the blow and simply observed Simon while sitting across the fire. His expression was blank but all four of his eyes were carefully studying the youth.

"In my cycle, orphans were commonplace and rarely survived the horrors that made them such. The two of you still have family who will no doubt take you in. Be grateful, you're both luckier than most."

"Lucky?! LUCKY?!" Simon hissed. His sorrow had turned to anger in a mere second and the only thing preventing him from completely exploding was his desire not to wake his sister. "You call this lucky?! This?! All of this?! Having our parents murdered, seeing this colony be devastated by those monsters, losing track of the rest of our family, being hunted down like animals-Lucky isn't a word I'd use to describe any of this, Javik."

"Of course not. To you, this is the worst nightmare imaginable. But I've seen darker, Boy. I've survived bloodier."

Simon quickly took a deep breath and struggled to settle his mind as best he could. Traveling with Javik had tested his patience on more than one occasion but at the moment he was the only true protection that the youths could rely on and the prothean soldier even managed to call that fact into question by forcing them to fight and kill so many enemy stragglers. It was an obvious attempt at toughening them up but still callous in Simon's opinion, not to mention dangerous. Despite his fury, the youth managed to calm himself after taking another glimpse of his sleeping sister.

"Now seems like as good a time as any to ask you. Have you given any thought to what I proposed on Arcturus? With everything that's happened, I need to proceed as soon as possible. I have to get stronger and quickly."

Javik continued to stare at Simon for several moments before finally responding. "Your idea isn't as unique as you believe, Boy. Neither you nor your father are pioneers when it comes to this line of research. In my cycle during the height of the prothean empire's power, we also possessed a means of achieving your current goal. The most distinguished among the soldiers within the subservient races who performed favorably for the empire were bestowed with a rare gift. That gift is what you now hope to grasp for yourself."

"Javik, are you saying-"

"Think about it Boy. My people were the ones responsible for blessing the asari with their biotic abilities." Javik placidly cut in. "For all the good it did them." he scoffed.

"Then…there is a way?"

"Perhaps. In my cycle a ceremony was held and the recipient would be honored by the highest ranking officers in the empire's military before being granted their powers. They became biotics, true biotics. Biotics of a caliber that allowed them to receive further training in the finest military academies my people could offer. This was of course before the war with the reapers. Centuries of fighting and the resulting strain on our resources put an end to the practice for the most part. There were a few who carried the tradition forward, more so out of necessity than honoring the exceptional. Formidable soldiers were hard to come by at that point and turning a decent pawn into a more dangerous one was viewed as a wise decision from a tactical viewpoint as long as the resources that went into creating them were negligible enough. Some believed they were. Others disagreed. Regardless, I do have files and a few other tools that you will need. You should understand one thing Boy. If you survive the current battles and I decide to help you, the risk of death will still exist."

"I'm not afraid."

"Good. Tell me Boy, are you truly prepared to wield the power of a prothean?"

"What do you mean?"

"This cycle's biotics are adequate at best. The asari have squandered their gifts and the krogan place too much emphasis on brute force. The so called 'superhumans' are another matter entirely. If you're successful in this endeavor, you'll have more in common with them and me. I'll ask again, are you prepared to wield the power of a prothean? To wield my power?"

"I am. It's not just about potentially becoming a biotic. I intend to master every applicable skill that'll help me battle the enemies we're all about to face. Hand-to-hand combat, offensive and defensive tech, marksmanship, battle tactics, I'll learn it all with or without your help. But I will learn Javik and I will get stronger."

Javik observed Simon for a long time before making his next remark. "Very well. Focus on the battles at hand for now and once we've left this planet, the preparations can begin."

"Thanks Javik."

"Don't thank me Boy. I'm simply curious to see where this war will take you. Your cousins bore me and more than a few will die before this is all over. You might perish as well but at least you'll do so while fighting and it will be at your best. I'll see to it personally."

Simon didn't respond. The mention of his cousins had momentarily caught him off guard. He'd almost forgotten about them and his aunts and uncles, even his grandparents. It was understandable given the situation but he still felt slightly guilty and also worried. He may not have seen his extended family as regularly as he would've liked but he loved them all a great deal. Leanne, Angelica and Cammie were all like big sisters to him. Especially Leanne. But then again, Leanne was everyone's favorite cousin. And of course there was Keith and Noah. Out of all the boys in the family, they were the ones he considered himself closest to.

"Please be okay." he finally whispered.

"If blood meant anything, they would be. Sadly, it seems possessing the admiral's genes will garner nothing more than possibly receiving a few scattered relics of my people."

Simon found himself baffled by the sudden statement. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"Boy, you're supposed to be one of the smarter children in your family. I suggest you start demonstrating proof of that assessment." Javik scoffed. "The procedure that we will subject you to was designed to augment and enhance protheans as well as bestow biotic abilities to the lesser species of my cycle. So consider how exactly this would benefit you. Even if we combined the details of the ritual with your dead father's research, it wouldn't help you or anyone else of this cycle. None of you are prothean and the subservient races are long dead. Now contemplate what I'm saying very carefully. What makes you special?"

Simon took a moment to mull over the specifics before the answer finally hit him. "Grandpa! I'm related to Grandpa! But how…the cipher! The cipher that he received from the prothean beacon on Eden Prime! Are you saying it did something else?"

"Indeed. The admiral wasn't simply granted a cipher that allowed him to understand my people's language. His very genetics were slightly altered, enough to benefit from certain prothean technologies. In theory, his descendents will all carry that change and like you, they could also undergo the ritual. The only exception is the sorceress. She has received far more than the rest of you by virtue of who her father is in addition to possessing your grandfather's blood. I'll have to continue observing her."

Simon found the revelations startling. Being a part of the Shepard family had always had its share of benefits and setbacks but this was almost too much to comprehend.

"Javik, does Grandpa know about any of this?"

"I sincerely doubt it. Not even Cerberus was aware despite resurrecting him. Primitives."

"I think we should keep it that way. I don't want anyone else finding out. There are kids in this family who are a lot crazier and braver than I am and I don't want them following in my footsteps. That goes for future generations too. Understand?"

"Very well, Boy. The secret shall remain between us. However, consider yourself warned. The sorceress may discover the truth herself if she is ever pushed too far."

"Angelica…I understand."

The old soldier and the weary youth remained silent for several minutes before Simon finally fell asleep alongside his sister as Javik continued to watch the pair.

"I imagine the admiral will be quite furious with me regardless of the outcome. You had better be worth the aggravation, Boy."

* * *

"You should be asleep right now you know."

"Sorry but I just can't seem to rest. Not with everything that's happened."

Leanne released a sigh before patting the ground next to her as an invitation for Keith to come over. The angry and worn out teen quickly joined her while Noah slept beneath the large tree that was serving as their temporary campsite. Bobo the combat drone was eagerly whizzing past and acting as a sentry while the youths got some much needed rest. Their journey to the hospital had unfortunately been derailed several hours earlier after an extended chase by the arbiters left their newly procured sky car wrecked on the side of a road a few kilometers away from their current position. Luckily, the crash had also killed their pursuers. For the moment they were safe and more importantly, unhurt. That was all that mattered to Leanne. No matter what happened, she wouldn't allow any harm to come to her younger cousins.

After taking a seat next to Leanne, Keith curled up closer to her and brought is head down to rest on her lap where she welcomed him with a blanket while humming.

"You're too old for this Mr. Badass. What exactly would your girlfriend think if she saw you right now?"

Keith didn't respond and Leanne didn't tease him any further. She simply continued to hum while monitoring Bobo's sensor readings and the status of the traps she'd set around the perimeter of their camp.

"I'm sorry we weren't there for you." he finally muttered.

"Keith-"

"I know what you're gonna say. I've heard it all before. We're just kids, there's nothing we could've done even if we'd been with you, we would've just gotten in the way, well I'm still pissed damn it! We almost lost you and now with all this shit-You're our big sister. Yeah, I said it and that's how Noah and I really feel. It's how we've always felt. Okay, we've already got big sisters but you know what I mean. You're special Leanne and you always have been. You're the only one in this family who's ever understood and accepted us without question. The only person other than Dad, Noah and Simon who I could ever talk to. And you almost died! One of the only decent things in either of our lives and we nearly lost you to the same monsters that tried to kill my dad and beheaded Uncle Isaac. Sorry, I just…I needed to get this all off my chest."

After a few moments of silence, Leanne casually plucked the back of Keith's head before gingerly resting her hand on the same spot.

"Did you really think Miss Sublime would get taken out that easily? I'm insulted."

"I'm not kidding around right now."

"Neither am I. Listen to me, Keith. I'll always be here for you and Noah. That's never going to change."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

After making her vow, Leanne gently embraced her younger cousin while cradling his head. "It'd be nice if you could confide in Angelica like this. It still bothers her that you don't."

"Too bad. She and I are just too different and that's never gonna change."

"Poor sorceress." Leanne whispered while continuing to hold Keith who gradually drifted to sleep in her lap.

* * *

"It's nice to have things go our way for once."

"You're right but I wouldn't get too comfortable just yet. Our luck has a habit of going south at a moment's notice."

After making her quip, Angelica continued to drive the hammerhead that she and her squad had recently acquired after 'liberating' it from a few arbiter proletarians who'd been scanning the vehicle less than an hour earlier in search of survivors near the remnants of a small military outpost outside the capital.

"This tank will definitely come in handy if we encounter any enemy artillery units." Elena casually added from the backseat.

"So you're not just a bitch, you're a stupid one too. That's good to know." Cammie scoffed from the passenger side next to her cousin causing Elena to scowl at her. "We all saw how easily those things ripped through the hammerheads. They even managed to bust up all the antique makos that were in reserve. This thing is good for getting us where we need to go and nothing more. If we happen to run across any of those giant lobster things our best bet will be to run like hell. We can at least outmaneuver the damned things but that's about it."

"If only our weapons weren't so-"

"Painfully ineffective." Elena coolly finished before Nima could continue. "It does put us at a severe disadvantage and that's not mentioning those creatures' insane kinetic barriers."

"And their biotic absorbing gauntlets, self-healing armor, telepathy, jetpacks, energy beams, I could go on but I think we all get the gist." Cammie irritably reminded everyone.

"They're tough, we all know that based on experience but we've also seen for ourselves that they have vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Their gauntlets can be overwhelmed and their shields can be destroyed, not easily but it can be done. And more importantly, some of them are more dangerous than the others. The ones in beige are a helluva lot easier to deal with than the monsters in red. The masters of mind games are the bigger ones with circles on their chests and the giants with the shoulder cannons are their heavy hitters for sure. It's not much to go on but it's something and we'll just have to use what we have to deal with them the best way we can."

After voicing her opinion, Angelica diverted her attention back to the road while her passengers considered her assessment.

"Totally unflappable in the face of overwhelming odds. Yeah, you're a complete shoe-in for a command position. Assuming you don't get passed over again because of your last name."

"Cammie, now's really not the time to be discussing this."

"Her last name? I'm a little confused."

"Her father is the Terminus Hunter. Angelica Hunter, get it? Haven't you been paying attention? I thought you were a journalist." Elena elaborated in annoyance.

"I-I see. There were rumors but everyone just assumed that it was some ugly hearsay started by a few opportunistic rivals. I never actually believed-"

Before Nima could continue, Angelica brought the tank to a stop and turned around to face her. The look in her eyes was deadly and at that moment they very much resembled those of the man she'd inherited them from.

"Ugly hearsay? Rumors? Let's get a few things straight right here and now. My father is in fact the Terminus Hunter and I'm proud to be his daughter. I've never denied who he is, so why should anyone else? Make sure you quote me once we make it off this planet and return to civilization. I'm so sick of this bullshit! They all curse his name, presence and everything about him but they've got no problem accepting his help when they really need it. I'm starting to understand why Dad prefers the Terminus Systems and the Nemean Abyss. Out there he's an overlord, either feared or respected but loved everywhere that he rules. Meanwhile, the minute he ventures to Citadel or Alliance Space, he gets reviled by half the media outlets while SPECTRES secretly mobilize in droves to spy on him and for what? To inform the Council that he took me out to dinner for my birthday or attended a family barbecue because I begged him to? Or maybe fill them in on the fact that he took me shopping and bought Linus a new saddle and let Virgo do my hair during my last vacation and-"

"Angelica, it's okay."

"No, it's not. And you know it's not Cammie. Dad doesn't even bother trying to visit anymore. You know what makes it worse? I'm the only one who cares. It matters to me. I miss my father, damn it! The last time we saw each other was under the worst circumstances imaginable but part of me was overjoyed because I was finally able to be with him again and not have an army of media assholes tearing into him from behind their tabloids or Alliance brass giving me 'friendly' warnings about how I should behave around a potential security threat."

After finishing her tirade, Angelica lowered her head and shut her eyes while quietly reminiscing about a certain beach on a small uncharted planet that her father and Virgo would often take her and Vince to when they were children.

"I really miss those days." she sadly whispered.

The tank remained silent for several minutes while the occupants struggled with how to respond.

"At least you know your father and get to see him, even if it isn't as often as you may like or under the best situations. Not everyone can say the same." Elena finally stated with a hint of bitterness.

"I've had just about enough of you bitch!" Cammie exploded before launching around her seat in an effort to attack Elena but the sounds of explosions in the distance quickly halted her attempt and put everyone on alert.

"That's close by. Too close."

"Something's wrong Cammie. I can feel it. We have to go."

"I guess we'll be putting this thing to work after all." Elena calmly added while readying her weapons.

"What do you mean? We aren't actually going to the source are we? I thought-"

"Shut up and strap yourself in. It's time we got moving." Angelica quickly cut in before Nima could express any further anxieties. Within moments the tank was accelerating in the direction of the explosions and a very desperate battle.

* * *

A broken bridge, a squadron of red proletarians, a massive arbiter heavy artillery unit and three young members of the Shepard family who'd unfortunately stumbled across a lethal gathering of enemies after taking a wrong turn. Jayce, Kevin and Benji were in the fight of their lives and things were growing more dire by the second. They were pinned down behind a destroyed shuttle and under constant bombardment from the enemy artillery unit. As if matters couldn't get any worse, they were also surrounded by the proletarians who were jetting through the air and taking elevated positions on the remnants of the wrecked bridge that was overlooking the battlefield. Before its demise, the bridge had been a local marvel due to its size and the history behind its construction. It was easily as old as the colony itself and extended across an enormous chasm that prevented land travel from one side to the other. Now, like so many other structures across Yandoa, it was a wreck and an ugly one at that. It was also acting as a rendezvous location for several arbiter squadrons, a fact that the Shepard boys had learned the hard way.

"What the hell did I walk us into?!" Jayce angrily snarled while opening fire on a proletarian sniper who was already taking shots at him from the top of the ruined bridge.

Heading for the bridge had been his idea and he was still furious with himself for leading his brother and cousin into such a dangerous scenario.

"Cool it Jayce. You can beat yourself up about it later, I know I will. But right now we've got to figure out a way to take these bastards down."

After calming his older brother, Kevin began scanning the battlefield while struggling to avoid sniper fire and bracing himself for the inevitable explosions that were slowly chipping away at their cover position.

"This isn't good, Kev. They've got the high ground and a heavy artillery unit. Plus they're red and we've seen how brutal the red ones are."

"I know Benji. That's why we'll have to take them out quick."

"And how do you propose we do that? What would a professional MMA fighter know about battlefield tactics?"

"Enough to get us out of the mess you led us into now shut up and listen. There's another crashed shuttle near what's left of the bridge close to the cliff. Check the markings. That baby was definitely a supply freighter. There's a good chance we'll find what we need to fight our way out of here and if we don't, we'll at least have a new cover position to hide behind."

"Kev, there's no way we'll make it over there. We're completely pinned downed here."

"No, we aren't. When I give the signal, you two make a run for it."

"Kev, what the-"

Kevin Hawkins didn't give his brother the chance to argue before giving his signal. That signal happened to come in the form of a shot from a Samaritan Heavy Pistol, a shot that most would consider to be impossible. After pulling the trigger on his gun chaos erupted within the ranks of the arbiters as one of the few remaining support cables holding part of the bridge's remains suddenly snapped. The resulting collapse caught the proletarians by surprise but they all managed to take flight and avoid the avalanche of destruction. However, doing so had allowed Jayce and Benji to make their mad dash towards the supply shuttle unimpeded. Kevin on the other hand was sprinting in an entirely different direction while firing on the colossal heavy artillery unit. His actions had clearly gotten the monster's attention.

"Fuck my life! Jayce is supposed to the soldier!"

After making it within a few meters of his goal, a dead Alliance marine who was still armed with an unused M-560 Hydra, he quickly found himself on the receiving end of a proletarian's aggression as it swooped from above towards him while opening fire. Kevin narrowly avoided the barrage by leaping forward and initiating a roll. His maneuver wasn't the most gracefully executed move but it did bring him to his objective. The moment he reached the dead marine, he grabbed one of the deceased soldier's frag grenades and tossed it into the air after arming it. The resulting detonation brought the proletarian crashing to the ground where Kevin was waiting. He'd already relieved the dead marine of his other weapons and decided to test one of the new armaments on the disoriented arbiter soldier. A single shot from an M-37 Falcon, a 25 mm mini-grenade and a brief blast were all it took to bring down the wounded hostile. Kevin ignored the resulting gore and quickly switched weapons. After arming his Hydra he took aim at the scattered proletarians who were still in flight and harassing his brother and cousin who'd finally made it to the shuttle.

"I guess all those gun lessons came in handy after all, Dad."

While quietly thanking his father for his instruction, the second born Hawkins son unleashed a storm of miniature missiles that immediately homed in on his targets and exploded causing them all to drop from the sky. Kevin knew better than to celebrate and wasted no time before beginning his next sprint towards the supply shuttle. He was still being targeted by the heavy artillery unit and the oversized lobster had no qualms about firing on him now that none of its allies were nearby. As the creature prepared to fire a lethal volley of energy beams, it was suddenly interrupted by a salvo of shots from a gun turret. Jayce was now manning a salvaged artillery unit of his own that had somehow survived the supply shuttle's crash.

"Kev, get moving! I'm barely scratching the damn thing!"

The remark was an understatement and a serious one. Jayce's shots weren't causing any damage to the arbiter artillery unit at all and only succeeded in annoying the giant. The situation grew more hectic when the downed proletarians began regrouping and taking aim at Kevin who was still on the run. Their attempts on his life were immediately cut short when a few well aimed disruptor rounds from a viciously powerful and well modified M-99 Saber began taking their heads off while Benji covered his cousin's escape.

"To Danny with love. From your sweetheart on Mindoir, Betty. I'm pretty sure the poor guy who was supposed to get this is long gone. I hope Betty doesn't take the news too badly and that she doesn't mind me putting this to good use." Benji sadly stated after reading an inscription on the gun's handle.

"I think she'll understand!" Jayce raged while continuing to concentrate his fire on the enemy heavy artillery unit.

"Maybe this will help."

After executing the last proletarian who had been attempting to kill Kevin, Benji grabbed a Cobra Missile Launcher and opened fire on the enemy behemoth only to see his efforts wasted when the creature ignored the resulting explosion and retaliated by firing on his position. The enormous energy beam almost tore the shuttle apart but luckily the aircraft had been one of the Alliance's newer models and equipped with a sturdier set of armor plating. A small blessing considering the fact that it was the group's only means of protection at the moment.

"I hate that thing." Kevin announced between breaths after diving behind the shuttle and rejoining his brother and cousin.

"We still don't have anything that can take that monster down. We'd need nothing short of a Cain to even stand a chance." Jayce irritably explained.

"I'm guessing you didn't find any laying around." Kevin quipped.

"Nope, just a few other big guns and some thermal clips." Benji casually responded while reloading his Saber.

"Okay, I think I've got an idea."

"I hope it's better than the plan you had earlier. You know, the one that brought us here in the first place. We couldn't just take the long way, oh no. Corporal Stick-In-The-Ass had to drag us all the way-"

"Alright Kev, I get it! I messed up!"

"He did admit it was his fault already and he's scolded himself enough over his mistake. Kev, let's hear him out."

"Fine, what's your plan?"

"This shuttle has a mass accelerator cannon and it's already pointing directly at our gigantic friend over there. One good shot is all it'll take to end this."

"Jayce, are you serious? Mass accelerator cannons don't do shit against these things, we've already seen how useless they are and this one's practically scrap."

"Kev, I can get it operational. I just need a little time. And I'm not aiming to destroy that thing, just push it off the cliff. You have to trust me."

"Damn it, alright. Hurry up and get to work. Me and Benji will see what we can do about distracting that nightmare."

"Thanks Kev. You wouldn't make a half bad soldier if you really tried."

"Now's not the time to mess around, Jayce. Besides, Keith would never forgive me."

The two brothers smiled briefly at each other before focusing on their tasks. After Jayce climbed inside the battered shuttle, Kevin released a sigh and turned his attention to his ever cheerful cousin.

"Just a few weeks ago, I was in Tokyo getting rubbed down by the hottest geishas on Earth. Now look at me. Covered in dirt and one wrong move away from dying. Take it from me Benji, this soldier stuff isn't worth it. There are plenty of other ways to make a living and most of them don't involve risking your life or fighting monsters from other planets."

"Well, we can't all be undefeated professional fighters who earn obscene amounts of credits."

"Actually, _you_ could. You're good, Benji. Really good. At least as good as Cammie, maybe even better. When we were kids we'd compete all the time. I can't help but wonder why you started slacking off. Correction, why you convinced everyone that you were slacking off. You and I both know that you're one of the best in this family. Too bad we're the only ones who know."

Benji simply smiled at his cousin while arming his Saber. "It's a real mystery, isn't it?"

"You and that creepy happy-go-lucky attitude laced with sarcasm. I really did miss it."

The two cousins briefly chuckled before instantly stopping and preparing themselves for another fight.

"The giant stopped firing. Kev…my nose is bleeding."

"Mine too! Get ready Benji!"

An ominous figure in red armor with a circle imprinted on his chest was already descending from the sky towards them. The situation was officially worse.


End file.
